Heart of a Hanyou Child
by artgalgenius
Summary: The battle with Naraku long over, Inu & Kag have a baby girl & happy life in a village outside modern Tokyo but have room in their hearts to take in an orphaned hanyou child. To save him they will have to fight a battle & Inu will confront his dark past
1. Hope

Hope

The street lamp shone brightly, illuminating the stark structure in its warm glow. Within it's worn walls the old building told the story of hope and loneliness. The orphanage seemed to belie the brilliant neon lights that blinked out the stars and the sleek architecture of it's neighboring structures. But it had stood there for many years and would do so for many more to come.

A small child with short messy silver hair curled up on the thin mattress of the orphanage listening to the other children's breaths as they slept. His body was in so much pain, though, that sleep would not claim him. He was at least glad that he was away from them, the ones who left his body bruised and sore.

Hikaru refused to cry, yelp, or make any sudden movement to show he was in pain despite the fact that he was. The last beating was the worst he had experienced and the only thing that kept him from shedding any tears was the fear that he would be beat even further for that. So he gritted his teeth, and held his tears in his eyes.

However, his mind wandered to the words of the nurses and orderlies and even the other children. They had never laid their eyes on such a creature. He had small dog like ears atop his head, vampire like fangs, and graceful claw like fingers with unnaturally long fingernails. Yet those features made him a jewel in a pot of coal. He was rare, the product of the love of a human and a youkai.

With strangely vibrant eyes the color of blue topaz and translucent skin, he could be described as beautiful or even angelic. The child could not fathom going through life without his keen sense of smell or sensitive hearing. Somehow somewhere deep down inside, he knew he was supposed to be this way and someday everything would be clear.

"Please find me," Hikaru whispered, calling out to the Kami, the spirits of the world. "Take me to where I belong." He often felt their presence on his skin, comforting him in his pain. Yet despite his suffering, his faith in the Kami did not waver despite the cruel words of his new guardians.

Hikaru was not sure what hurt more, the beatings or the words. Although he had never met anyone quite like him, he did not consider himself deformed as the doctors so clearly described. After all, he had been born this way and was not the least bit hampered by it.

Painfully, Hikaru rolled over on his side and squeezed his eyes shut willing himself not to cry. Crying only led to more bruises. He hoped that someone or something heard his call.


	2. Bliss

Bliss

Hidden in the mountains outside of modern Tokyo, thousands of stars illuminated the narrow streets and traditional architecture of the sprawling villages untouched by the changing fashions of the modern world. A large Buddhist temple and Shinto temple overlooked the dwellings as if standing guard. As large as Rinjihoshi was it was a wonder it had not ignored time but had adapted with it forging its own traditions and culture unnoticed by modern Japan.

One of the largest of these traditional structures was a simple wooden building with a curved tile roof that stood on the top of a hill overlooking a large portion of the town. The soft scent of incense emanated from its graceful walls.

A gentle breeze rustled the bamboo that graced a heavy carved wooden gate. Beyond this gate was a path of smooth limestone stepping-stones framed by elegant willow trees that led to a graceful curved bridge over a koi pond. Beyond this pond lay an elegant Japanese house with curved awnings.

Inuyasha Taisho stood on the veranda of this house, his eyes focused on a scooter lazily crossing through the narrow streets of Rinjihoshi, amazed at how this remarkable village hidden in the mountains outside of Tokyo could feel more like home than the forests of the Sengoku Jidai ever did.

The modern world may have forgotten them but the mythical youkai, the creatures said to have carried the spirits of animals, carried on, adapting to a changing world, and flourishing creating their own culture where honor was the most relished virtue. Here, they forged the unique villages of Rinjihoshi and lived in peace with the small group of _Onmyoji_, or the legendary human sorcerers, and _ningen_, humans, who also chose to ignore time.

A cold wind carried his hair about his face causing the small bundle in his arms to squirm. He gracefully brushed the errant hair strands out of his eyes with a free arm as he smiled down at the bundle that was cooing excitedly as the wind carried over her skin.

"You feel that too Izayoi, don't you?" he whispered to the infant in his arms. "Your mother would say it's a sign." Inuyasha sighed looking over the valley feeling that the wind was gently telling him change was coming. He stepped inside and slid the shoji door closed behind him walking to the kitchen where he set the child in her high chair.

Kagome smiled as she watched Inuyasha fumble with the straps to secure their daughter in place, his fingers fumbling with holding a squirming infant in place while attempting to deftly fasten the straps. After noticing his eye twitch in annoyance she stepped forward smiling, "here let me help you."

"Feh, I could have figured it out myself," Inuyasha proclaimed crossing his arms and turning his head. A small smile escaped his lips as he glanced at Kagome from the corner of his eye. He could not help but wonder how carefree she now looked, favoring the colorful yet relaxed kimono style of the youkai. Inuyasha simply found her alluring. Once the child was secured, Kagome turned and leaned up to meet him nose to nose. "Don't worry, you're still my hero."

"Damn straight!" Inuyasha smirked wrapping his arms around her, leaning down to kiss her. Izayoi squealed happily from the highchair eliciting a laugh from Inuyasha mid-kiss. "I swear she's plotting against our love life."

"Don't be silly. She's just hungry," Kagome teased, tapping the tip of his nose with her forefinger.

"Are you sure?" Inuyasha teased back, raising an eyebrow as Kagome untangled herself from his arms and walked to the cabinet returning with a small jar and a baby spoon.

"Don't be so dramatic," she smirked passing him the jar and spoon. "And don't pretend to forget about last night!" Inuyasha made a face at her before sitting down next to Izayoi.

"There you go little one," Inuyasha smiled at his daughter as he brought a spoon of strained carrots to her lips, which she eagerly accepted making a slight mess around her mouth in the process. Kagome returned to the stove to finish dinner as she watched her husband tend to Izayoi. The infant had her mother's hair and smile, but she also had Inuyasha's amber eyes and claws as well as two dark dog-like ears atop her head.

Izayoi was named after Inuyasha's mother, not by Inuyasha but by Kagome, who felt it was time for another Izayoi to grace the world. The child had held Inuyasha entranced since he witnessed her noisy entrance into the world. He was constantly amazed at how helpless she was yet how strong her will to live was, challenging and strengthening his own beliefs.

Every child be it hanyou, human, or youkai thrived to live. Inuyasha realized this as he looked at his daughter mere seconds after she was born, her head turning towards him in recognition of his voice that she had heard countless times from the womb. It was at this moment that he felt more complete. His sense of worthlessness was gone, immediately replaced with a sense of responsibility.

"And your mother says I'm a messy eater!" Inuyasha smirked as he scooped the mess of strained carrots back into her mouth with the spoon. On his forehead hidden beneath his bangs was a faint blue crescent moon, which mysteriously appeared after he shared his blood with Kagome in an ancient youkai ritual steeped in magic allowed him to finally take control of both his human and youkai blood. Inuyasha never transformed into a full youkai again, yet he was stronger and far more cunning than ever before.

He was still clad in his black hakama pants and gi he wore to teach kendo, the way of the sword. The dojo he and Kagome ran was very successful and well respected even amongst those who resided outside of Rinjihoshi. They had found their peace in Rinjihosi. Inuyasha and Kagome had so much yet desired so little.

"I heard that!" Kagome countered with a warm smile as she watched her husband from the stove. Inuyasha had surprised her. Since her birth, he had been so attentive to their daughter. When Izayoi cried in the night, Inuyasha would be the one getting out of bed and ordering Kagome to go back to sleep. The rosary of subjugation was long gone, though she had her suspicions that they were hidden in a box in a closet somewhere.

_She's got him wrapped around her finger_, Kagome thought smiling as she shook her head. However, she could not shake the conversation she had earlier that day. At first she shook it off as mere coincidence, but as the day wore on she found it disturbing.

"I spoke to Ayume today," Kagome suddenly said.

"So, you always talk to her," Inuyasha nonchalantly replied, using the spoon to scoop some of the strained carrots back into Izayoi's mouth.

"Well you're gonna want to hear this," she gently scolded. "There is a child that arrived at an orphanage today, silent as the night, with dog ears, claws, and fangs." Inuyasha paused at the table holding a baby spoon full of strained carrots in mid-air gawking at Kagome. Izayoi sat in her high chair, mouth open, waiting for the spoon. "She said he reminded her of…_you_."

"He's a hanyou?" Inuyasha asked ignoring Izayoi as she hungrily stared and cooed reaching for the spoon.

"Probably, from the description she gave," Kagome said in all seriousness as she turned to the stove.

"Did she say if she was was inu or ookami or kitsune?" Inuyasha had forgotten that he was feeding Izayoi who was still reaching for the spoon.

"Actually it's a boy, and from what she said I think he may be inu," Kagome matter of factly replied adding a bit of salt to the chicken and vegetables she was preparing.

"Hmmm, an inu hanyou. I thought I was the only one," Inuyasha mused, lowering the arm with the spoon slightly.

"You're not that special and you're not the only hanyou in Rinjihoshi!" Kagome teased then paused looking at her daughter, who was cooing louder and her noises were remarkably unheard by Inuyasha's sensitive ears. "Um, Inuyasha-kun, how long do you plan to torture your daughter like that?"

"Like what?" he said, then dropped his jaw at the sight of Izayoi huffing and reaching out to the spoon. "I'm sorry Izayoi-chan," he quickly said kissing her forehead and offering her the spoon. His mind quickly returned to the child they were discussing.

"Kagome, how did he get there?" Inuyasha made sure not to take his eyes off his little girl this time, offering her spoonful after spoonful and noticing she was accepting them less frequently. _She must be getting full._

"He was found wandering the streets alone at night." Inuyasha blinked, digesting what Kagome had said. Hanyou or youkai children are not normally found wandering the streets alone at night where an unsuspecting human could find them. Foul play was obviously involved in all this, but there was something more urgent in his mind.

"What," he stammered as unpleasant thoughts ran through his head. "What are they going to do once they figure out the child is not entirely human?" Inuyasha tentatively asked, forcing himself not to think of what a scientist would do to his own daughter.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Kagome admitted, emotion creeping into her voice. "I haven't stopped thinking about it all day." Inuyasha knew all too well how she felt about prejudice and misunderstanding.

"Don't worry, Kagome. We'll think of something," Inuyasha offered picking up Izayoi from the high chair and holding her close to his chest. He knew this would bother her and if it bothered her it would bother him. However, looking at Izayoi in his arms Inuyasha knew he had to do something. He simply could not let another hanyou child to fend for himself in the world.

"I know," Kagome smiled weakly as she walked over to Inuyasha and tweaked one of Izayoi's ears. She looked into Inuyasha's eyes and saw a flurry of emotions.

"So all she needs is a bath now, right?" Inuyasha asked with an eager smile.

"Yeah. Dinner will be done by the time you're done." Kagome smiled at her husband. Although he often knew what to do with Izayoi, he was always running things with her or her mother.

"Good, I'm really hungry!" Inuyasha announced as he left the kitchen, eliciting a snort from Kagome.

_Yet again, some things never change!_

* * *

Onmyogi really did exist, although I changed them around a bit for my story. A full explanation be found on wikipedia under onmyodo 


	3. The Alley

The Alley

In a dark alley barely lit by streetlamps, a burly lone figure stood with unruly hair and cold dark eyes. In the distance a window could be heard being slammed shut and a few paper lanterns were seen being extinguished. The street was deserted and quiet, the occupants of its structures witnesses to nothing. Steam from a vent cloaked the large man in an ominous silhouette.

The lone figure pulled a worn packet of cigarettes out of his pocket and carefully brought it to his lips taking the cigarette between his thin lips. Although he moved slowly and deliberately, Hitodenashi was a dangerous man. He glanced around the alley looking for something or someone before lighting the cigarette.

"Is it true?" slipped from the lips of a smaller more graceful man with shoulder length hair neatly pulled into a ponytail that soundlessly slipped into the alley. A nearby street lamp hissed as its light waned and disappeared, clouding the alley in further darkness. "Has Kengen died?"

"Yes, Koukastu, he is gone," he drawled sucking on his cigarette, gauging the reaction of his companion. Hitodenashi may have been a powerful man but he was no leader. And though he showed no signs of it, the loss of Kengen, their leader, shook him to the core. Without him, his purpose seemed hopeless.

Koukastu spied a cricket on the asphalt and crushed it with the heel of his boot, relishing in the cruelty of his act. He eyed his larger companion warily and hopefully, having desired Kengen's position for years.

Kengen, the Oyabun or "father" of the Fukitsuryuuza organization, never believed in rules. He preferred to break them, often to the scorn of more established organizations. Koukastu looked up to him as the father he never had, dreaming of the day he would take over or branch out on his own. Tonight, after many years of waiting, would be his night.

"When?" he asked sucking in a breath.

"It happened last night. He was assassinated by Shinota," Hitodenashi replied with no emotion in his voice, offering the pack of cigarettes to Koukastu who solemnly took one. Shinota was a powerful yakuza leader, his empire felt throughout Tokyo and its neighboring cities. It was also well known that Kengen operated in circles that the yakuza dared not.

But what troubled Koukastu the most was that he had been suspicious that his former leader had been plotting to take over parts of Shinota's territory. As ambitious as he was, Koukastu would not have dared such a bold move. He wondered what had caused his former leader to move so aggressively. In actuality, it disturbed him.

"And the kid?" Koukastu pressed further slowly bringing the cigarette to his lips and lighting it with the large blue flame of his heavy lighter sending large puffs of smoke into the air.

"You mean that dog?" Hitodenashi asked further with confusion on his face, watching as Koukastu waved his hand in the air, dissipating the smoke.

"Heh, you're right. What happened to that dog?" Koukastu smirked for he had never laid eyes on such a being. The child was dog-like in appearance with his ears and fangs and to a certain extent mannerisms, but he also had silver hair that appeared to shimmer and the strangest blue eyes he had ever seen.

"Dunno. He wasn't at the office when I went there. Who cares anyway?" Koukastu sighed with relief as he heard those words. That was one less thing to deal with on his ascent to power.

"Yeah, you're right. I wonder why Kengen kept him around anyway?" Aside from his startling appearance, Koukastu often wondered what Kengen's agenda with the dog-child was. At least he had been quiet and obedient and when he did protest a swift kick in the chest silenced him.

Yet something at the back of his head told him there was more to this strange child that there was some great secret Kengen was hiding in him. Perhaps he would find the answer once he took over the office. But there was something about the whole situation that left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Koukastu wondered how much the child knew about their organization and to whom he would describe it to. He did not vocalize this to Hitodenashi. Although loyal and obedient, Hitodenashi was a warrior and nothing more. But he knew that one of his first tasks on his ascent to power would be to find the child, quickly.

"So what happens now?" Hitodenashi asked, his face a perfect mask. But he was no leader and Koukastu could only surmise at the anxiety that brew below the surface. Hitodenashi was loyal to Koukastu and Koukastu despite his cruelty respected Hitodenashi. The thought of being a ronin, a masterless modern day samurai, frightened Hitodenashi.

"No one has made a move…_yet_." Koukastu walked down the alley with Hitonedashi eyeing him as he sucked on his cigarette. "But I do need to know where your loyalties lie."

"You know my loyalties will always be with you," Hitodenashi said blowing out a plume of smoke from his lips. He spied a beetle on the wall and stubbed it with his blunt cigarette. The pair watched emotionless as the insect contorted under the heat of the burning cigarette embers before finally falling still. Hitodenashi let the cigarette fall from his fat fingers.

"Good," Koukastu mumbled with the cigarette dangling from his lips, slightly exposing his yellowing teeth. "Then consider me the new Oyabun of the group."

Hitodenashi nodded, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his dark trousers. No smile appeared at his lips but his shoulders relaxed slightly at his companion's statement.

"Lay low for now but keep your ears open for anything…unusual," Koukastu drawled carefully pulling the cigarette from his lips and tossing it in back of him. He then silently slipped out of the alley leaving Hitodenashi to contemplate his new leader's words.


	4. Contemplation

Contemplation

With his hair spilling in long waves down his back and onto the smooth lacquered wood floor, Inuyasha kneeled in front of the small shrine in the dojo slowly inhaling the fragrant scent of burning incense. His eyes were closed deep in meditation and both the tetsusaiga and an elegant katana, the first sword he ever crafted with his bare hands, was laid before him on the floor.

This was Inuyasha's daily ritual after all the students were gone and the dojo was silent, a habit he learned not too long after the death of Naraku and the completion of the Shikon no Tama for clearing the mind and soothing the soul had made any sword in his hands as light as a feather. Inuyasha would never forget the fateful day he learned that lesson, the day the boy became a man. It had been a bitterly cold day, but no snow lay on the ground as Inuyasha and Miroku were traveling in the direction of Kaede's village.

"We should rest for the night," Miroku suggested as he looked at the encroaching darkness across the sky and a large village up ahead.

"Why? I ain't tired," Inuyasha had characteristically huffed, tucking his hands into his sleeves.

"Neither am I," Miroku calmly explained. "But Kagome's torches no longer work and there is nothing beyond that village but rugged terrain. It'll be best to stay the night here and continue on in the morning."

"Fine, whatever," Inuyasha grunted in annoyance at the mention of Kagome's name. He looked wistfully at the distance, fully aware that Miroku was staring at him. He no longer cared if he showed any emotions, a consequence of the final battles with Naraku. Kagome was safe in her world, to heal the sorrow in her heart after the violent conclusion to the war with Naraku. Inuyasha understood why she left. The constant battles of the era had worn her down and stolen her cheerful smile from her face. But Inuyasha missed her terribly and could not help feeling lost.

"Inuyasha, are you coming?" The hanyou turned his gaze to find the monk had moved ahead of him.

"Hey!" Inuyasha shouted as he caught up with Miroku. The pair continued to walk in silence for a while.

"So what are your plans?" Miroku finally asked.

"Dunno," Inuyasha nonchalantly replied. "Why?"

"As you know, Sango and I are going to rebuild the youkai slayers village and hopefully revive it and marry in a year. Shippo plans to go to a kitsune village to develop his magic. But what about you?"

"Dunno. What is there for someone like me?" Inuyasha bitterly threw back at the monk.

"So are you just going to live in the forest and hunt?" It was a question filled with pity.

"Why not? It's served me well for years," Inuyasha lied sticking his nose in the cold air, knowing that he would miss the companionship and camaraderie of the group, most of all Kagome. She had returned to her world to piece back her life.

"Inuyasha, there is something for everyone. Don't forget that," Miroku offered. A cold wind blew through the valley catching Inuyasha's hair with it.

"Whatever," Inuyasha mumbled as they continued their journey. However, once they arrived at the village they were not prepared for the reception they received. Villagers avoided their gaze, the path before them was cleared, and mothers ushered their children out of the way. Miroku looked apprehensive but Inuyasha merely sighed knowing what was to come, having seen this reaction before.

"We do not accept your kind here," was the cold response of the innkeeper.

"Kind sir, I assure you that we do not intend any harm to come to your village," Miroku began to barter with the innkeeper as the village headman suddenly appeared.

"Don't bother," Inuyasha huffed, tucking his hands into his billowing sleeves and looking away. "He ain't worth your breath."

"I suppose you're right," Miroku sighed, not wanting to spend the cold night on the ground. A pepple hit Miroku on the center of his temple eliciting a loud, "Hey!" This was followed by more stones and rocks as the crowd began to grow.

"Great, stones!" Inuyasha grunted waving them away, furrowing his eyebrows as a woman clad in red and white apporached yielding a bow. Inuyasha could barely sense her aura and realized she was not much of a threat. However, he did not want to harm her or any villagers and wanted to leave quickly.

The miko notched an arrow in her bow and shakily pointed it at Inuyasha, "Half breed you are not welcome here!"

"Relax miko, we're leaving," Inuyasha huffed grabbing Miroku by the sleeve and dragging him.

"Don't think I will let you go. It is my duty to slay you." Inuyasha spotted from the corner of his eye that Miroku was gritting his teeth. Before Inuyasha could stop him, Miroku stopped and turned to face the miko, "Foolish woman. Your haste will be your demise. If you attack youkai that mean you no harm, you will find your village in more danger than you ever thought possible."

The miko was rather young looking and appeared eager to prove herself. "She barely has any power Miroku. C'mon let's go before this gets ugly."

"No power!" she shouted, releasing her arrow. Inuyasha caught it only singing his fingers and tossed it aside, feeling it purify his fingers slightly. The hanyou's ears twitched and his precise hearing had heard the screams of a young woman nearby. Soon more shouts and screams could be heard.

"Inuyasha," Miroku hissed, sensing danger as well. The hanyou frowned, having witnessed this scenario before.

"Bandits!" a young boy shouted running towards the miko. The young woman turned to face the boy gripping her bow tightly, panic about to set in. She looked at Inuyasha and said in a threatening voice, "Don't think this is over."

The young miko looked over the crowd that had formed around her confrontation with Inuyasha and Miroku, assessing the situation. A cold wind gushed through the village emphasizing the urgency of the situation. "Everyone, grab any weapon! We are going to defend our village."

Inuyasha and Miroku watched as the young miko run to the sounds of increasing screams and shouts, followed by several villagers. Inuyasha glanced at Miroku who merely nodded and both ran after the miko. When they got to the scene, they found the young miko surrounded by five men, one of which had shoved the frightened young woman against a tree and was attempting to pull her kimono open.

"P-p-p-please stop," she sobbed. "What have I-I-I done to you?"

"You have ignored my wishes," the young man who had shoved her against the rough bark of the tree cruelly retorted, forcing his hand inside her kimono and roughly cupping her breast eliciting more sobs and whimpers from the frightened woman.

Inuyasha did not owe the villagers anything. In fact, a part of him wanted to relish in their demise, something he had done in his past. But something stirred within his heart that he could not ignore. He could choose to leave the village to fend for itself or he could do the right thing and stop the slaughter despite their hatered of him for something he could not control, his blood. Inuyasha cast his amber eyes on the ground in deep thought.

"Let her go," Inuyasha calmly said looking up.

"And what are you going to do about it, half breed!" the young man retorted back forcing his other hand into her kimono. "Know your place, no one will believe you if any harm comes to us."

Inuyasha sighed in annoyance before jumping into the midst of the bandits. The effects of the miko's arrow still coursed through his body forcing Inuyasha to observe his opponents movements and retaliate accordingly. Miroku jumped into the fray and the pair quickly incapacitated the bandits. As they lay on the dirt unconscious, the miko crumbled underneath the shade of the tree holding back her sobs and muttering, "I've been so foolish."

Inuyasha did not acknowldedge the woman as she had learned a painful lesson nor who did he address his audience as he turned to leave the village expecting Miroku to follow him.

"Aren't you going to kill them?" an elderly man spoke up.

"I don't kill humans," Inuyasha solemnly said. "They are in your custody now. Do as you see fit."

Inuyasha and Miroku quietly walked out of the village, stopping as they came face to face with an unusual man dressed in a black gi and hakama, a man who would play an important role in Inuyasha's life for the next two years. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow as a cold wind blew through the valley tossing his hair about it face. He wanted to say something rude, mostly out of habit but Inuyasha could sense something important about this man's presence.

"Young hanyou," he said calmly bowing, "I am Sensei Ryuu and am requesting your company tonight."

"Huh," Inuyasha replied, confused by this man's politeness towards him and not Miroku. Usually _he_ was the outcast and his human companions would have to soothe other humans to his presence. Inuyasha did not break eye contact as he replied, "Why? What do you want from us?"

"I do not want anything from you, other than the company of a fellow swordsman for I am a master of kenjutsu and was rather impressed with your fighting style." A fellow swordsman Inuyasha thought, recognizing that the calculated but accurate swordfighting he had witnessed samurai engaged in, vaguely recalling that kenjutsu was the term often used to describe it. He was slightly curious.

Inuyasha glanced over at Miroku who nodded. Something about this man intrigued him and Inuyasha found himself bowing politely, "We accept your offer."

The strange Sensei's dojo was located far enough from the village that it was dark by the time they arrived. Inuyasha and Miroku found themselves in the home of Sensei Ryuu, an elegant yet simple house designed to house several guests if needed. Sensei Ryuu and his family offered them an elaborate dinner and lodging for the night and the dinner conversation quickly slipped to the battles against Naraku, which Ryuu had been familiar with. Somehow the stories of the battle against Naraku and the recovery of the Shikon no Tama were filtering across the countryside and becoming the fodder of legend.

That evening, Inuyasha met Sensei Ryuu over a pot of tea, an event that would often occur over the next two years. Inuyasha calmly sat observing the sword master inspect the tetsusaiga through the steam emanating from the ceramic cup in his graceful hands. He was still weakened from the arrow, but could feel his body beginning the process of healing.

"That was an honorable thing you did in the village," Sensei Ryuu offered.

"Feh," was all Inuyasha could reply as a soft blush crept across his cheeks and he focused his eyes on his teacup. The Sensei smiled at Inuyasha's modesty. Most youkai he had seen were brash and arrogant but this hanyou was a study of contrasts. Rude one minute embarrassed the next, and finally polite when least expected. He was intrigued by the hanyou before him and could not help but wonder what this young man could teach him. Sensei Ryuu turned over the Tetsusaiga and partially removed in from its sheathe before re-sheathing it again.

"A sword forged by your father to protect humans. How remarkable," he muttered furrowing his brow in deep thought. "And you mastered it all on your own?"

"Not exactly," Inuyasha meekly replied taking a sip. "I had Totosai, the forger of the sword, and Myoga the flea youkai, my vassal, guide me. But essentially, I had to figure it out on my own."

"Totosai's work is well known even amongst _ningen_. This is the first sword of his I have had the opportunity to lay my eyes on and I must say it is extraordinary," he exclaimed returning the blade to its sheathe.

"So you have heard of him," Inuyasha smiled.

"Indeed," the sword master stated, noticing the hanyou relax over his tea. "Is the old codger as eccentric as the rumors claim?"

"You have no idea," Inuyasha nonchalantly replied looking down at his cup and pointing a finger in the air. "More like forgetful, cowardly, and indecisive!"

"Imagine how you would fight if you were properly trained." This statement loaded with a not so subtle hint that caused Inuyasha to frown a bit.

"I don't fight if I don't have to. I'm sick of it." A pained expression came over Inuyasha's face as he recalled the end of the war with Naraku and the events that left everyone so scarred.

Sensei Ryuu observed Inuyasha then brought his cup to the floor, refilling its contents before responding, "If you truly mastered the sword, you wouldn't have to fight."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Inuyasha was growing angry and frustrated. He was through with battle and merely wanted to live in peace.

"When one truly masters the sword, one's soul is truly whole. As a hanyou, you may never find many who accept you but your bond with the monk and your stories of your other companions-the youkai slayer, the miko, the kitsune, and the neko youkai show that it is not impossible. But by mastering the sword completely, you will find that youkai and ningen will not want to fight you."

Inuyasha looked down at his half drunken cup of tea and observed the swirl of steam floating out of it. He wanted to believe the Sensei's words but his time in this world had taught him that his kind was never accepted. It was his lot in life to carry this burden. He placed the cup on the floor not averting his eyes as he spoke, the hurt evident in his voice, "I want to believe you, I honestly do but I've seen so much hate in this world that I can not."

"Unfortunately hate and ignorance will always be a part of this world but you do not have to succumb to it." The Sensei's words lingered in the air causing Inuyasha to reflect more closely on his experiences.

"I suppose not," Inuyasha smiled.

"And you can join the prejudiced in their ignorance or you can rise above it." Inuyasha eyed Sensei Ryuu at this comment with curiosity and boldly asked, "What exactly are you hinting at Sensei?"

"Inuyasha, would you be interested in studying under me?"

"Huh?" Inuyasha said lowering his cup to his lap, his jaw going slack. His life had been going nowhere since he and Kagome had parted and the offer was rather tempting. He would have to work hard without complaint, but he could still wield a sword without the murder that so often came with it. A smile formed across his lips as he realized he could do this.

"Sensei Ryuu, I accept your offer," he said bowing slightly in respect to his new teacher.

"Good," the Sensei replied a small smile forming at his lips. "I suggest you meditate tonight, for tommorow we begin." Inuyasha glanced at Ryuu his lips slightly parted. He then closed his mouth understanding that this was more an order than a suggestion and nodded. As he sat on the roof not long afterwards, he meditated on how his life had changed overnight. There would be no more slacking, no more rude comments, and no more cussing. But he had felt more complete than he had in a long time, ever since Kagome had passed through the well for the last time. He had a sense of purpose and felt as if he had matured some that night.

Dewdrops coated the grass causing the blades to glisten in the early morning light as the monk prepared to leave the following morning. Inuyasha stepped onto the porch clad not in the red robes of the fire rat but in the pristine white gi and flowing black hakama pants that were worn by students of Sensei Ryuu. He wore a peaceful yet determined look on his face.

Miroku finally emerged with Sensei Ryuu and looked at Inuyasha as he leaned against a post on the patio and smiled speaking, "You have chosen a difficult path, Inuyasha, but it will leave you to the greatest fulfillment."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean," Inuyasha quickly retorted. Miroku sighed and shook his head saying, "Meditate on it! And you will hold your tongue under Sensei Ryuu!"

"And you are a lecherous monk!" Inuyasha said in a low tone, pointing at Miroku. "Not my sensei."

"You better not! I put in a good word for you," Miroku pointed back.

"Do you really think I would stoop so low to disrespect Sensei Ryuu? I know where I stand and what I must do." Inuyasha leaned against the post once again, crossed his arms and looked away sighing softly. "I can't mess this up."

The monk looked at his friend and noticed for the first time how much he had grown since he had first met him. "I have faith that you won't, but you are my friend and I just can't resist getting a rise out of you. It's just too easy!"

Inuyasha could not help but laugh at that comment. But he quieted down when Miroku carefully placed his hand atop Inuyasha's head. Inuyasha then brought his hands together in front of his eyes, closed them and bowed his head as he lowered his hands to his heart as Miroku prayed over him.

"May you be filled with loving kindness

May you be well

May you be peaceful and at ease.

May you be happy."

Miroku then smiled and stepped back. Inuyasha looked up and returned the smile, "I guess this is where we part for now."

"Take care, my friend," Miroku said then turned to finish his journey alone. Inuyasha watched as the monk left the village becoming smaller and smaller and eventually disappearing from view. He sighed then turned away from the scene to begin his new life.

Inuyasha matured under Sensei Ryuu's strict training and guidance, studying the sword but also literature, history, calligraphy, tea ceremony.

"To be a master swordsman, one must be well rounded and educated," he had explained to the confused hanyou. Inuyasha merely nodded and uncharacteristically complied, often sitting up late at night studying scrolls and texts by the light of a solitary candle. Yet he found the grueling regimen of rising early and retiring late after completing chores had provided him with a sense of purpose.

Two years had passed before he returned to Kagome's home, with a new sense of purpose. He no longer desired power, only enlightenment. Sensei Ryuu had noticed that the katana in Inuyasha's hands was slowly growing heavy and surmised that something was troubling the hanyou. Over an evening cup of tea he pressed the matter. Inuyasha sighed and explained, "There is someone I can't help worrying about. I don't know if she is safe or healthy or even happy."

"I see," Sensei Ryuu calmly stated sipping his tea. "Perhaps you should pay a visit."

"Huh?" Inuyasha replied gently setting the cup down.

"This worry, this indecisiveness is what makes your sword so heavy. The only way it will lighten is if you pay a visit and make sure she is fine." After much discussion, Inuyasha agreed and returned to Kaede's village. Before leaping through the well, he sat at the Goshinboku and meditated on the changes he made in his life noticing the sadness radiating off it.

When he emerged from the well house he was glad that nothing had changed. Noting that Kagome was nowhere to be found, he sat at the base of the Goshinboku and waited, carefully placing some wrapped packages for Kagome's family before him.

"Excuse me sir, can I help you?" A familiar voice spoke. Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes surprised that Kagome had not recognized him. His hair was now fashioned in a ponytail similar to how his father wore his effectively concealing his ears and he was clad in the black hakama and gi that the Sempai, the senior students, of Sensei Ryuu wore.

_Have I changed that much?_ Inuyasha questioned. It was jarring to the hanyou as to how much respect he now commanded, as to how much he had grown. Even on the journey to the well, no youkai dared approach him nor did any ningen flee from him, a mere hanyou. Even his brother had raised an eyebrow at the subtle changes. A small smile had formed across the hanyou's lips.

"I am looking for a Kagome Higurashi," he calmly said looking straight at her noting that she no longer wore the green uniform, but a simple sweater and a skirt.

"Inu-yasha," Kagome gasped in surprise and bewilderment as her eyes finally focused on his, recognizing the amber. "What are you doing here?"

Inuyasha blinked at the harshness of her questioning. It was obvious she did not want him here and he would oblige, but he could sense the heaviness in her heart. He let out a breath of air he had been holding before he began, "For the past two years I have been training under a Sensei, improving my swordsmanship skills. But lately, I found that my katana has grown cumbersome in my hands as I could not help but wonder if everything is fine with you. My Sensei sent me here to make sure you are at peace."

"I am fine, Inuyasha," Kagome coldly said after pausing for a few seconds. "Go back to Kikyo." Still seated at the base of the tree, Inuyasha looked up at her noticing that much of her aura was gone and that there was harshness in her eyes. Inuyasha had hoped living in peace would bring back the smile he fondly remembered. He quickly recalled that Kikyo was still wandering the earth when Kagome left the Sengoku Jidai.

"It has been two years since Kikyo has finally passed on of her own volition. She finally realized her role in the world had passed. Kaede and I helped her find her peace and she was finally able to pass on as we prayed over her and in her final moments a smile could be seen across her face," Inuyasha calmly explained. Kagome's jaw dropped slightly in shock offering a weak "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Inuyasha serenely replied with softness to his features Kagome could never recall ever seeing before. "It was far better to have her pass on than to linger in this world so tormented."

"I'm glad she finally found peace and moved on," Kagome softly said looking at Inuyasha with newfound respect in her eyes. Inuyasha gazed ahead and the two remained still in awkward silence before Inuyasha inquired further, "So tell me what's wrong Kagome?"

"Nothing I can't handle on my own," she lied through clenched teeth. Inuyasha's eye twitched. She was saying everything was fine but it was obvious she had not smiled a true smile in a long time. In fact, even the air at the Shrine felt heavy.

"Then tell me why are your eyes so cold, your skin so pale, and your aura gone."

"What!" Kagome hissed taking a step back. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, musing over the irony that Kagome had somehow lost her way while he had somehow found his. He then averted his gaze, unable to look at her trembling form.

"I'm not some mere damsel in distress that you need to rescue anymore. I can fight my own battles," Kagome finally said balling her hands into fists at her side.

"I never said that," was Inuyasha's tense reply. "But maybe if you tell me I can guide you on what to do."

"This is something you can not help me with." Inuyasha inhaled slowly, stifling his temper and carefully thought out his next words.

"Why, because I'm not from your era. Things are not so different between the two time periods. Stop building these walls around yourself and let me be your friend for once. That's all I ask, nothing more," Inuyasha earnestly confessed. Kagome's eyes lit up at his honesty and her body relaxed. She sat down next to him and meekly replied, "Okay, I'll tell you what's going on."

Kagome smiled and leaned against Inuyasha's shoulder and began to talk about all that had happened to her since she permanently returned to her world. He felt as if a huge weight was lifted off his body and soul. The sword master had been right and he managed to avoid a shouting match.

"When did you grow to be so smart and mature?" Kagome smirked as if two years had not passed and as Inuyasha thought of the memory he touched his cheek recalling how he felt them grow hot at her comment. He smiled, for it was not long after that they forged an impenetrable friendship and eventually fell in love once again, although this time they actually admitted it.

In the dojo, Inuyasha smiled at all these memories as they mysteriously resurfaced. He knew why they came to surface. It was about the power to change someone else's life. Inuyasha was forever grateful to Sensei Ryuu for believing in him, giving him the courage to rise above ignorance. His kataana felt heavy in his hands in class this day, the previous evening's conversation heavy in his heart. However, Inuyasha was meditating on the fate of a hanyou child this day.

Inuyasha had a choice. He could change the fate of a young hanyou or he could ignore this altogether. Inuyasha had no obligation to the child. Yet he had the power to change the course of someone else's life. Perhaps it was his turn to follow in his Sense's footsteps.

"I understand what I must do," the hanyou let fall from his lips. Inuyasha bowed and quickly stood up, noticing that the testusaiga and katana felt lighter as he tucked his swords in the tie of his hakama pants. He determinedly walked out of the dojo, his black hakama and gi flowing with the graceful movements of his body.

* * *

Whew! That was a long chapter, more of a flashback really. I was trying to transition to a flashback without stating "start flashback" and "end flashback". I hope I succeeded.I guess I could make a side story to this. But I wanted to show transition from the brash youth to the mature adult. The prayer that Miroku did is a traditional Buddhist blessing. I had Inuyasha respond with a gesture called Namaste and the way he did it was a sign of great respect and show the deep friendship between the two. Kenjutsu is the precursor to kendo, or the way of the sword. Practicing the martial art of Kendo is supposed to help someone become a more complete person. 


	5. The Orphanage

The Orphanage

"What is this place?" Inuyasha loudly observed as he glared at the ugly white walls and scrubbed linoleum tiles of the long hallway they stood in. He swallowed at the idea of housing children, however it was less cruel than watching homeless children in the Sengoku Jidai fend for themselves often at the tolerance of village elders. "It's depressing."

"It's an orphanage. It's where children with no parents or family go to," Kagome explained resting a hand on Inuyasha's back, noticing the glares of a few of the staff. She then leaned forward and brought her lips near his ear, which was conveniently disguised under a bandana, and whispered, "be polite."

"I was merely stating the obvious," Inuyasha mouthed rolling his eyes and crossing his arms but quickly realized angering her would not be a good idea and grabbed her hand, gently squeezing it. Kagome smiled. Inuyasha wasn't one for words, the sting of lies and deceit he suffered as a child at the hands of humans still burning deep within him But Kagome relished in the understanding they were able to achieve with simple body language.

Although colorful posters and signs hung in the hallways of the orphanage, it permeated sadness as if it had soaked up all the tears of lonely children and was slowly leaking them out. Inuyasha felt his shoulders slump as if his body was growing heavy and the walls closing in on him, his heart beginning to race.

"Are you okay?" Kagome whispered squeezing his hand, attempting to ease his impending claustrophobia. Inuyasha smiled at her perceptiveness, feeling his heart and body growing lighter, the anxiety diminishing. A small smile spread across his lips and nodded.

"You're here," Ayume huffed in relief as she met them, quickly passing out their visitor badges. She quickly led them down the hall, her face betraying the anxiety within. "Follow me."

They made their way up a flight of stairs and slowly opened the door to a room with four metal beds. Colorful posters and crayon drawings hung from the walls and a few stuffed toys lay abandoned on two of the beds. A solitary child sat with his legs dangling off the edge of the bed absentmindedly staring at the floor. Inuyasha and Kagome immediately noticed the short unruly silver hair and dog like ears atop his head.

As Kagome and Inuyasha opened the door further, the child looked up and glared at them with distrusting topaz blue eyes. He slowly pulled up his legs as if any movement of his body caused him pain and crossed them.

"Can I?" Inuyasha whispered. Ayume merely nodded.

"Hey," Inuyasha whispered as he knelt before the child. The boy looked at him and merely blinked his unusual blue eyes, taking in the strange tall man with hair that hung below his hips barely restrained by a black bandana and piercing amber eyes. Hikaru could not help but notice how graceful this man looked though he was clad in worn jeans and a crisp black shirt.

A small gasp escaped Hikaru's lips as he watched Inuyasha take his small hands into his larger ones, quickly noticing the long elegant clawlike fingernails. He turned his face away in embarrassment as Inuyasha frowned upon inspecting his claws and leaned in closer whispering with disgust, "did someone cut your claws?"

Hikaru nodded looking down at the floor, refusing to look at Inuyasha. He did not want to talk about the incident the day before when a nurse roughly grabbed his hand flexed his fingers running a large pair of clippers across his long fingernails. The nurse did not notice him tense up with each clip, the force required to break the nail sending a painful jolt up his fingers.

"I bet that hurt, didn't it," Inuyasha said. Hikaru diverted his eyes from the floor to meet Inuyasha's and nodded. Inuyasha smiled and offered, "don't worry, you'll heal fast enough and your claws will be long again."

"I know," Hikaru smiled and felt his body relax a bit, now noticing that this man did not smell like anyone else he had met before. His scent was comforting, yet vaguely familiar. Inuyasha smiled, revealing his fangs and offered, "I'm Inuyasha, what is your name?"

"Hikaru," the child whispered, never taking his eyes off Inuyasha. "They call me Hikaru." Inuyasha blinked at the name, never taking his eyes off the boy. Had Kagome borne a boy, the child would have been called Hikaru, roughly translated as brightness or light, a name representing the great hope that Kagome and Inuyasha shared for their child.

"Hikaru, that is a good name," Inuyasha smiled. "Can you tell me how old you are?"

"Five" Hikaru whispered. Inuyasha smiled once again and said, "Wow, you're a pretty big boy. I want you to meet someone, is that all right?"

When Hikaru nodded, Inuyasha turned and waved Kagome to come near him. Hikaru's eyes focused on her, his nose picking up her delicate scent as well as a pleasantly faint scent he could not identify. "Hikaru," Inuyasha whispered as Kagome kneeled next to him, "this is Kagome."

"Hi," Hikaru whispered, eyeing Kagome, deciding that she was very pretty. Kagome smiled as she held up the small box in her hands, "Hello Hikaru, this is for you."

A small smile spread across Hikaru's lips as he took the box from her, lifting the lid. His smile grew wide revealing small fangs that would eventually grow longer and pulled out a stuff toy of a yellow two tailed cat. Inuyasha looked at Kagome and muttered, "Where did you find that?"

"My little secret," Kagome smiled, winking at Inuyasha. Both returned their gazes to Hikaru who was hugging the toy his eyes crinkling with excitement and voicing his gratitude with much emotion in his voice, "Thank you!"

"Your welcome," Kagome smiled back. "How did you get here?"

"I don't want to talk about that," Hikaru quietly replied, his tone growing rather dark for a five year old. Kagome sat on the bed next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder and smiled, "It's okay Hikaru. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Hikaru nodded and quietly said, "okay."

"So what are your favorite animals?" Inuyasha quickly asked, hoping to brighten his spirits. He slowly stood up and sat on the bed next to Hikaru where ho noticed a bruise on his neck near his ear.

"I like birds," Hikaru quietly said slumping his shoulders in sadness. Inuyasha looked over the child's head at Kagome, who shrugged and leaned down to ask in a whisper, "why?"

"Because they can fly?" He said looking up wistfully without a thought. Inuyasha smiled. Although this boy did not know it, he had the spirit of a youkai. It was the desire to be free, to live passionately. Inuyasha smiled, "yeah they are cool."

Ayume carefully cracked open the door to find Inuyasha and Kagome seated on the bed on opposite sides of Hikaru and the three were simply talking. In his arms was the stuffed toy Kagome had given him. She smiled and pushed the door open and stepped inside, "is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Kagome replied smiling. Hikaru sat on the bed motionless, his eyes falling on the floor. Inuyasha gently placed a hand on his back and looked up at Ayume smiling softly.

"Is he?" Ayume asked. Inuyasha nodded. Inuyasha could feel the child next to him stiffen as they talked about him and brought his hands over to one of his ears and scratched the base of them. Hikaru could feel the drowsiness setting in and yawned involuntarily. Kagome looked at the boy then at Ayume, who looked deep in thought, and boldly asked, "So what happens now?"

"I don't know," the normally confident young woman replied. Kagome looked at her friend, frustration evident under her brow. Ayume had turned down many lucrative job offers so she could help children like Hikaru. But faced against a system that did not know what this child was, she suddenly felt helpless.

Ayume never was one to cry but Kagome could see that her friend was trying to control her emotions. It was as if she was holding back tears. Kagome stood up and walked over to Ayume and whispered in her ear, "don't worry, we'll think of something."

"I know," Ayume replied in a low voice, nodding. She looked at Kagome, the slightest hint of admiration evident in her eyes. "I wish I had your strength, your optimism Kagome."

"You do, Ayume," Kagome said. "And _we_ will think of something."

Inuyasha and Kagome's time with Hikaru was over, but neither had wanted to leave his side. They quietly said goodbye to Ayume and solemnly walked down the sidewalk to the train station. Inuyasha would have offered to carry Kagome on his back and over the rooftops, but as he left the orphanage he felt as if all his strength had been drained from him.

It was strangely apparent that the child was not aware of what he was. At that young of age Inuyasha could recall feeling the immense power of his blood coursing through his veins and wanted nothing more than to run through the trees, thoughts or desires of battle alien to him. Someone or something had quenched that fire in Hikaru, his eyes so dull. Yet Inuyasha could sense that Hikaru was forcing any such desires deep down and yearned to free them.

He looked over at Kagome and could see sorrow written all over her face. Kagome looked up at him, feeling cold and hopeless. Inuyasha wrapped an arm around her shoulder protectively and leaned in closer placing a gentle kiss upon her cheek. Kagome allowed a small smile to escape her lips and whispered, "Thanks."

Yay! Another chapter done! Inuyasha and Kagome finally meet Hikaru!

I wrote this chapter listening to Funeral by The Arcade Fire so if it is a bit somber then that's why. It's a great album by a great band. (Sorry, gotta support indie music!)


	6. Make Your Own Choices

Make Your Own Choices

Inuyasha sighed as he reclined on the soft grass with his hands behind his head on the hillside in back of his house, still clad in his jeans and black shirt gazing at the clear deep blue early afternoon sky. Barely a cloud decorated the pristine sky. The bandana had been pulled off his head and was now clutched in his hand, allowing his hair to spill messily around his head.

The hanyou had been in a foul mood ever since they left the orphanage that morning. He had thought leaving the neon lights and noisy streets of modern day Tokyo would brighten his mood, but he just felt worse. He could escape to the serene mountain town of Rinjihoshi but Hikaru was trapped.

And that fact made the hanyou particularly somber in spite of the bright day. While the child was being adequately cared for, the sorrow in his eyes spoke volumes. In that facility his spirit was slowly dying. As a young child, Inuyasha thrived in open spaces. And to this day he felt joy in running and leaping as fast as he could enjoying the feeling soft grass beneath his toes. He was sure that Hikaru could feel that yearning in him as well.

Inuyasha also knew all too well what it was like to be different. For most of his life, Inuyasha had been proclaimed guilty of destroying crops to murdering innocent villagers. Although Hikaru was not being found the blame of any misfortune, he did not look like the other children and had to suffer the humiliation of having his unusual features constantly scrutinized at as is if they were an abomination.

Either way, the emotions were the same. One could not help but feel alone when there was no one else in the world like you. Although one's life could be filled with acquaintances and friends, there would be no one else who understood the unique consequences of one's existence.

A gentle breeze blew a dry leaf onto his chest returning his thoughts to his surroundings. He gently plucked the leaf and tossed it aside. His ears twitched at the sound of a window sliding open. Kagome was watching him, no doubt letting him know she was there by that simple act, concerned about what emotions the orphanage would stir in him.

His lips parted, a small smile crept across his lips as Inuyasha was quickly reminded at how well Kagome understood him, grateful for the solitude she had granted him so he could sort out his thoughts and feelings, but close enough if he needed to talk or merely touch her.

"Foolish emotions," Inuyasha hissed moving a hand to his forehead. Although he was different, he actually had not felt alone in years. So where did these emotions come from?

Inuyasha could not help but notice there was something else about the boy. His eyes betrayed gentleness and natural curiosity, his heart not yet tainted despite the cruelty of the world. It was like looking into a mirror of his own childhood before he lost his mother and his heart had grown cold. He had once been that little boy who wanted nothing more than to play and make his mother laugh, not fight.

And as he lay on the grass contemplating these emotions, memories began to surface. Inuyasha forced his eyes shut to stop the tumult. He had been fortunate to be a few years older than Hikaru when he lost his mother, her memory forever sealed in his mind as bitterness settled in his heart.

The bitterness was not created by youkai, but by the cruelty of humans. As a child he had been hunted by youkai, but it was always the actions of humans that were most abominable. Had he been completely human, he would have perished. There were some secrets that were so painful he never voiced them to anyone, not even Kagome.

Inuyasha wiped the moisture from his eyes with the back of his hand, amazed of the hold these memories still had over him despite the years. Knowing what he had to do he sat up with the grace of a cat and let out a breath he had been holding.

He quietly slipped into the house and wandered to the bedroom to find Kagome peacefully napping on the large platform bed with Izayoi nestled next to her. A sense of tranquility washed over him as he watched her chest rise and fall with each breath.

"I will let you rest," Inuyasha whispered as the leaned over her kissing her softly on the cheek. He retreated to the bathing chambers, slipping off the jeans and black shirt and into elegant black hakama and kimono top. And with nimble fingers, he secured his hair into a high ponytail atop his head, his ears neatly concealed under the hair. Inuyasha took one last glance at his wife and daughter before he slipped out of the house.

With barely any effort he leapt into the trees and swiftly made his way up the hillside. Inuyasha crouched in the high branches of the large Japanese maple his eyes focusing on the forests that had stood for over a millennia finally settling on the large two story traditional house. He inhaled, breathing in the fresh scents of blooming persimmons and strong pine trees.

"About time," he snickered when he saw Sesshomaru slide the Shoji door open and look up into the trees. His elder brother as usual was clad in a white kimono and hakama.

"Little brother, I can smell your stench. You can come out now," Sesshomaru called unsheathing the elegant katana from his waist. From his vantage point in the tree, Inuyasha smiled. That katana had been a gift from Inuyasha, one of the most exquisite swords he ever made.

Sesshomaru's katana, with the Taisho family name and crest carved onto the blade and an elaborate sheath engraved with images of their father, the great Inu no Taisho, in true youkai form, was Inuyasha's gift to Sesshomaru and served an important purpose. It all began when the two brothers unexpectedly encountered each other.

Inuyasha would never forget the day his brother stopped calling his name with contempt. Sesshomaru, with little Rin in tow, was traveling through the countryside. Jaken had perished in the final battle with Naraku. Inuyasha had been nibbling on a ripe persimmon reclining against a tree when Sesshomaru wandered in his direction. "Little brother," he began with gentleness in his voice, "so this is the place you seemed to have disappeared to."

"So," Inuyasha replied taking a bite of his fruit. He did not yearn to fight his brother anymore, finding it rather pointless. But his ears did pick up the soft tone in his brother's voice piquing Inuyasha's curiosity.

Sesshomaru focused his eyes on Inuyasha and quietly spoke, "I suppose I will see you around." He then turned around and silently walked away.

It was another two weeks before Inuyasha saw his brother again, each time engaging in small conversation. This change happened so abruptly that it puzzled Inuyasha until the day he spotted his brother longingly gazing at the object he previously so despised: a hanyou.

The hanyou was a beautiful maiden with long dark hair and pointed ears of a youkai who lived with her ailing father, a kind inu youkai who pined for the safety and happiness for his daughter. He had inadvertently been poisoned and his days left on the earth drawing to a close. The youkai dreaded the day he would pass on as his daughter would be left alone to fend for herself amongst youkai who would detest her "tainted blood" and humans who would fear her power.

Inuyasha crafted the elegant katana for Sesshomaru to protect the hanyou, a shy young woman called Mayumi, from the humans who sought her demise. The sword served him well. But the lands ruled by Inu no Taisho lay in ruins in the aftermath of the war with Naraku. And the Sengoku Jidai was proving to be too dangerous for the young maiden until Kagome offered a solution.

"I know a place beyond the well," Kagome offered as she bandaged an injured Mayumi. "In the mountains, where you could in peace live amongst other youkai."

"Kagome!" Inuyasha huffed. "You and I are the only one's who can pass through the well."

However, that statement held Sesshomaru's and Mayumi's attention. They stared a the young woman who sighed looking down at a long blade of grass, "I know of a way to extend my power to allow you to pass through."

Sesshomaru and Mayumi agreed to do this not much long after. Inuyasha had been shocked by Sesshomaru's willingness to abandon his dreams of empire. But he noticed that his brother appeared calmer, happier.

It was a bright sunny day when Kagome, using her awakening miko powers brought Sesshomaru, Mayumi and Rin through the well. It took three trips, Kagome looking more exhausted with each one.

That feat, however, proved to be too taxing for Kagome as the ordeal left her feverish and barely able to walk, leaving her confined to bed for nearly a month. Inuyasha had been so fearful of how ill she had fallen, he forbade her from ever attempting to help anyone else pass through the well again. Kagome normally would have protested but after her ordeal she somberly agreed with Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru, Mayumi, and Rin settled in Rinjihoshi. Sesshomaru slowly built a new empire, one of financial success. Eventually, they had two children, an eight-year-old boy named Inuryoku and a three-year-old girl named Mika.

Sesshomaru stood in the garden and shifted the sword in his hands causing it to reflect the sunlight off its blade into the tree Inuyasha was perched in, drawing the attention of the hanyou in the tree.

In a flash of leaves and broken twigs Inuyasha leapt out of the tree unsheathing his katana and flipped through the air landing before his brother, "Greetings."

Sesshomaru raised his sword and ran towards his brother who positioned his sword and ran towards him. The two met their swords clanging and echoing as they made contact. Both leapt back, determination and sweat on their faces from the exertion of that single blow.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were exquisite swordsmen. Inuyasha met his destiny mastering the Tetsusaiga essentially on his own before being formally trained in the martial arts of humans while Sesshomaru had been schooled by youkai traditions. But as the two brothers reconciled their relationship they taught each other a bit about the sword.

"Too slow," Inuyasha taunted as he spun out of the way of a swing at him, a small smirk appearing on his lips. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and leapt over Inuyasha striking downwards as he gracefully landed on the grass, "That's my line!"

Grinning, Inuyasha leapt backwards to avoid the strike before lunging forward. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru leapt up, their swords colliding as they turned in midair before each leapt backwards. Inuaysha slid back into a bamboo patch, his sharp blade slicing through the stalks as they fell around him.

"You won't miss them too much!" Inuyasha smirked.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow positioning his sword before him. Inuyasha furrowed his brows bringing his sword before him as well and ran towards his brother bringing his sword to his right shoulder before slicing at him. Sesshomaru gracefully spun around and blocked the strike with his sword before taking a careful step back. Both brothers glared at each other breathing heavily from the exertion of their blows, their swords before them, anticipating the others move.

It was Sesshomaru who moved first, his katana striking in a downward motion to be met with Inuyasha's sword. Both brothers glared at each other gritting their teeth as they pushed their swords against each other. In a flash, Inuyasha spun around and swung at his brother, who quickly responded by spinning around and swinging at him, his sword striking Inuyasha's. With barely a split second hesitation, both brothers spun around swinging their katana at each other.

That final confrontation ended with both swords pointed at each other's throats, both brothers panting sweat glistening on their foreheads. A small smile formed across Sesshomaru's lips, "your katana has grown heavy."

"But you'll never beat me," Inuyasha calmly said in a quiet voice. Sesshomaru smirked re-sheathing his sword. Even though he was a full-blooded youkai and physically stronger, Inuyasha was the better swordsman a fact that filled him with pride. His father's line, after all, was a strong one.

Sesshomaru's eyes focused on the hanyou before him, at the anguish that was so evident in his inability to defeat him and drawing a tie, "What troubles you, little brother?"

"You know me too well, eh Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha smiled. He paused, his eyes meeting his brothers before diverting his gaze to the ground. He swallowed before continuing, "A child was found wandering the streets of Tokyo just a few days ago but he had ears like mine, fangs, and claws."

"A hanyou," Sesshomaru stated to which Inuyasha nodded his eyes focusing on a broken bamboo stalk on the ground before turning to face his older brother, "and no one seems to know where he came from or his parentage."

Sesshomaru characteristically faced his brother, no emotion evident on his face or in his eyes. Eventually he quietly spoke, "it is likely this child originated from the smaller islands where many youkai live secluded from the modern world."

Inuyasha nodded in agreement, that thought had entered his mind earlier. But there were so many mysteries about the child. "But what puzzles me is how did he end up in Tokyo?"

Sesshomaru nodded in agreement to the question. He looked over at his brother who was moving the broken bamboo stalk on the ground with his bare foot, his face deep in concentration, before he spoke, "Inuyasha, what interest have you in this child?"

Inuyasha sighed and looked up at the sky. "Earlier today, Kagome and I went to Tokyo to visit the boy."

"I see" Sesshomaru calmly replied, his expression softening. He turned away from his brother and looked at the ground, understanding the emotions that coursed through his brother's body. "If you choose to adopt the child, he will fall also fall under my protection if need be."

A small breeze blew through the clearing carrying both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's hair with it. Inuyasha sighed and looked into the wind, a smile creeping across his face, "thank you."

* * *

Whew! Another long chapter. Sesshomaru and his family will play more of a role later in the story. I just wanted to show how their relationship has grown as both of them have essentially grown up. If there is anything I could have done to improve that sword fight, please let me know. Action sequences are hard for me to write. 


	7. Two Hearts Beating As One

Two Heats Beating As One

A fragrant breeze blew in through the window, resplendent with it the scent of Japanese persimmons, carrying a small heart shaped leaf with it. The breeze carried the leaf through the colorful transparent silk curtains that framed a futon on the tatami floor, pausing as it quickly fluttered landing in Kagome's hair that was so gracefully spread across her pillow.

Although sparsely furnished with a few chests and trunks, the bedroom exuded warmth and comfort. A pile of scrolls lay abandoned on a small low table to be read later and large shoji doors opened to an exquisite garden.

Kagome stirred gently opening her eyes to focus on Izayoi beside her and no sign of her husband. A soft smile formed at her lips as she watched the infant suck on her toes happily.

"Have you been waiting for me to get up?" Kagome smiled as she began to gently tickle her daughter's sides, Izayoi squealing at her mothers touch. She scooped up her daughter stroking her soft hair out of her eyes, "I bet you're hungry, eh?"

Izayoi looked up at her mother with expectant amber eyes, as if she could sense the sadness underneath her smile. Kagome felt her smile melt from her lips slightly as she was familiar with this phenomenon.

Mysteriously as if a gift of the kami, or spirits, youkai infants, with their heightened senses naturally sense the emotions of their parents, often taking on the emotions themselves. However, Kagome found the reverse to be true in herself as well. Although human, she would often feel scared when Izayoi was frightened.

At first it frightened her, as if she was loosing her humanity, but she soon came to cherish it. She felt more alive, more connected to the kami. Kagome found that she was becoming more attuned to youkai ways, an idea that made her heart feel warm.

Kagome carried Izayoi through the silk curtains and out of the bedroom, pausing as she passed the bathing chambers, noticing Inuyasha's discarded clothing on the floor, "I bet your daddy went for a run." Shaking her head at the pile he left behind she whispered to the infant she was bouncing in her arms, "You see that mess. I'm not picking that up!"

Izayoi squealed happily in her mother's arms, causing Kagome to laugh and lift her into the air. "I'm glad you agree with me!"

The infant continued to squeal with joy as Kagome bounced her on her way across the house and sank into the papasan cushion, offering Izayoi her breast, "wow you really are hungry."

Kagome looked down at her daughter, wondering why the child did not cry when she awoke if she was so hungry like she normally would. "You really are a mystery."

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the cushion. Kagome was worried, not only for a young hanyou child but also for her husband. Hikaru looked not only sickly but also terrified and Kagome was worried what emotions it would trigger in Inuyasha.

Tears had trickled down her very own cheeks upon arriving home. She was at heart still a miko and could feel her soul yearning to help the boy to the point that her body felt heavy. If the trip to the orphanage had brought out such emotions in her, what would they stir in Inuyasha.

He had rarely talked of the past and when he did it was always with very few carefully chosen words. Inuyasha had come to terms with his past but the pain was still there. Mysteriously as Izayoi came into their lives, the walls he built around him were slowly crumbling and Inuyasha and Kagome were growing even closer if it was possible for two souls grow even closer.

Kagome had often heard that youkai are immune to emotions but Kagome knew this to not be true. Youkai do not readily show emotion or fall in love easily, causing humans to believe that all youkai are cold hearted. But when they do love, they love very deeply.

She realized this the moment she woke up in Inuyasha's arms after she had nearly died from poisoning and watched him turn away hiding his tears from the others. But Kagome saw the tears and the raw emotion on his face.

She began to notice other things such as a blush across his cheek when he had done something kind or distance himself away from the conversation when it took a more personal turn. Eventually she came to realize his harsh words were merely a way of protecting his bruised heart.

The longer they knew each other, the more intimate the glimpses Kagome saw into Inuyasha's heart. Kagome's brush with death was not the last time she saw his tears. Small tears had barely leaked out on the day they shared sake cups, their wedding day.

However, Kagome was most surprised by his show of emotion the day Izayoi was born. In front of the healer and midwife, tears streaked his cheeks as he held Izayoi, just seconds old, who was squirming in his arms as he attempted to clean her before presenting her to Kagome.

Kagome ran her hands through her hair finding the leaf. She opened her eyes to look at it, "how did that get there?"

The leaf was young and green, perfectly shaped into a heart. Her own heart skipped a beat, as there were no trees in this area that produced that kind of leaf. She could feel as if this leaf was a sign from the kami and she knew what the message was.

Kagome glanced over at the clock on the wall, frowning slightly. The first classes of the afternoon would be starting soon and Inuyasha was never one to be late.

"Speaking of the hanyou," Kagome whispered as she heard Inuyasha tear the Shoji doors slide open and hurried footsteps as he ran inside. Kagome looked up at him from her position on the large Papasan chair, Izayoi suckling her breast, with a sad look on her face. Inuyasha gazed at the infant, the site of Kagome nursing his daughter causing a small smile to form at his lips despite the heaviness in his heart.

"Kagome," Inuyasha gently spoke kneeling next to her, gently placing his palm on Izayoi's head, wondering if the infant could sense the sadness in the house. Kagome looked at him, her red eyes betraying the tears she shed earlier. She whispered, "I can't stop thinking about him."

"Neither can I," Inuyasha replied in a low voice his eyes on Izayoi. Kagome diverted her eyes down at the tatami mat. Inuyasha sighed and said, "We need to talk."

Kagome looked at Izayoi who had stopped suckling, smiling as the infant squirmed in her arms. "Have you had enough Izayoi?"

"I think that's obvious," Inuyasha said in a quiet voice as Kagome pulled the infant away from her breast without so much as a cry. Carefully he took the infant into his arms.

"Well I was thinking," Inuyasha began as he rested Izayoi against his shoulder, gently patting her back. "That perhaps we could, you know, take him in. I mean I know it will be hard with Izayoi still so young but we have more than enough and what is one more child anyway?"

"You mean let him stay with us instead of the orphanage," Kagome questioned, unsure of his intentions. "Don't you think that would be too much of a strain on him to have him be shuttled back and forth?"

Inuyasha looked down at Izayoi and gently stroked a fuzzy ear then looked at Kagome with glassy eyes. "It would be a permanent arrangement."

"Inuyasha," Kagome asked not breaking eye contact, "why?"

Inuyasha broke eye contact and looked down at the floor, the question of "why" echoing through his head. At first he thought he pitied the child, but quickly realized he was more concerned for him more than anything else. The fact was that there was a child a need and they had so much to offer that he could not turn his head and look away. Inuyasha looked at Kagome and smiled, "why not?"

Izayoi began to huff, about to let out a cry when Inuyasha adjusted her so that he was now cradling her in his arms. Bouncing her gently, Izayoi slowly ceased her huffing and looked up at her father with curiosity. Inuyasha shifted his eyes to focus Kagome as she stood up and began, "Well we've talked about having more children, perhaps a few years from now but life doesn't always work out that way, he laughed slightly. "Why not have another child now?"

Kagome gasped then smiled. It would be hard, but her conscience was telling her it was the right thing to do. "Inuyasha, you understand that this is a lifetime commitment. Once you agree to this, there is no going back."

"I understand that," he sighed turning to face Kagome. "But this is something I feel I have to do."

Kagome looked into Inuyasha's eyes, at how soft and thoughtful they were. He brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes before speaking again, "I don't understand it but Izayoi changed me. Today I cried for the first time over my worst childhood memory."

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered stepping closer to him, her heart beating faster. He looked down at the tatami mat then at Kagome, tears brimming his eyes. "It was the day my mother died. She protected me from the world, but with her gone I was left helpless"

"I remember all too well the day I was thrown out. My mother was buried the day before and I had refused to come out of my mother's chambers. I was so happy to inhale her scent again. I had been laying down on her futon, clutching the seashell that held her rouge, and for a moment truly thought she would step in and hug me." Inuyasha paused, letting out a breath of air.

"B-but she never came," he whispered as tears began to leak out of his eyes. "A group of men came into my mother's chambers, all of them were carrying spears and knives. I stuffed my mother's seashell into my kimono and tried to run past them but there were too many. I felt hands grab my body and throw me onto the floor. They started to kick me and hit me. Then they grabbed by my arms and dragged me outside where they tied my wrists and ankles."

Inuyasha sighed as he looked at the floor before speaking, anger evident in his voice. "They accused me of things I had never done," he hissed. "They blamed me for my mother's death!"

"But it wasn't your fault!" Kagome offered looking up at him, but he did not make eye contact.

"I know that, but when you're small and alone and desperate, you start to believe those things," Inuyasha sighed. "I closed my eyes and could feel my body being beaten and cut. All I remember is pain and the sickening scent of my blood. I was barely conscious and could feel them drag me to the forest where they left me for the animals."

Izayoi squirmed in Inuyasha's arms and shifted her slightly before continuing; "I passed out but came to a few hours later to find my wrists and ankles were still bound. I used my fangs to cut the rope around by wrists and slashed at the cords around my ankles with my claws. I ran and ran, never turning back until I found shelter in a cave. That was the day I truly realized I was alone. That memory still hurts, but not as much anymore, not when there are things worth living for," Inuyasha smiled looking down at Izayoi.

A comfortable silence overcame the pair as Inuyasha finished his story. Despite the silence Kagome silently swore she could hear the bricks fall from the wall around Inuyasha's heart fall. But she knew better than to make a big deal out of this confession. Instead she gently laid her palm across his cheek, wiping away a tear with her thumb that escaped his eye. And as she looked at him, she noticed calmness on his face.

"I feel the same way Inuyasha," Kagome whispered. "It is time for another child, Hikaru."

He smiled and leaned down his lips softly descending on hers, ignoring the squirming infant in his arms. Kagome sighed into the kiss, relishing in the intimacy and closeness. But after a few minutes, Kagome's eyes popped open as she forced herself from the kiss, "don't you have a class to teach?"

"Damn it," Inuyasha hissed.

"Don't cuss!" Kagome quickly scolded him taking Izayoi into her arms smiling as he quickly ran out the door with a quick "sorry."

"He may just be on time," Kagome whispered to Izayoi.

* * *

Hope you liked it. Next chapter is when the action and mystery starts to pick up. 


	8. The Successor

The Successor

A lanky man in a gray pinstriped suit and his short hair colored an unnatural shade of blonde that contrasted against his slightly tan skin quickly trudged down a crowded nighttime Tokyo street. Neon lights reflected off his face and the sounds of arcades and pachinko parlors echoed in the humid air. Sweat droplets formed at his temples, causing him to pull a handkercheif from his pocket and wipe his forehead on occasion. His tie was loosened and fluttered violently around his chest as he turned a corner.

"Akiyama!" Koukastu hissed removing the cigarette from between his lips and blowing out a plume of smoke into the hot Tokyo night. He had been leaning against the sleek marble wall of a skyscraper enjoying the night air as orders were being carried out under him, unaware of the blonde man's whereabouts.

Koukastu stood up from leaning against wall placing the cigarette back between his lips, his face emotionless. Akiyama gritted his teeth as he faced Koukastu, "so you think you're strong enough to lead Kengen's empire."

In all the years he had known him, Koukastu had never trusted Akiyama. He was always quiet, standing back a bit in the shadows. Koukastu always suspected he was calculating, never showing where his loyalties lay. He sucked on his cigarette before removing it from his mouth and flicking the ashes off the smoldering end before he spoke, "what are you planning Akiyama?"

Akiyama laughed shaking his head to toss the blonde hair out of his eyes. He watched as Koukastu calmly continued to take small puffs, noticing the tension in his fingers as he gripped the cigarette. Smirking, Akiyama coldly spoke "What makes you say that?"

"Don't fuck with me!" Koukastu hissed squeezing the cigarette between his fingers. He dropped it allowing it to smolder on the sidewalk. In all his years serving under Kengen, he had learned to tolerate Akiyama but never learned to trust him.

In actuality, Koukastu rarely ever saw Akiyama. He was never an official part of the organization, and appeared to merely be a business associate of Kengen. It was he who Kengen trusted with carrying out many of the functions of the business.

Upon returning to Kengen's office late in the evenings, he occasionally would find Akiyama present enjoying a cup of sake or whisky with his leader, but rarely witnessed any other suspicious activity other than the exchange of envelopes and notebooks.

"I have no concerns about what you intend to do with Kengen's empire," Akiyama coolly said tucking his hands into his pant pockets. "I do know you sent that brute Hitodenashi to Shinjuku yesterday."

"If you have no interest in Kengen's empire, then why are you watching my every move?" Koukastu stated, annoyed that someone was keeping tabs on the protection he now provided to a gentleman's club in the red light district.

"Don't flatter yourself," Akiyama smirked. "I watch everyone in this town." And in that statement, Koukastu knew he had to find out what Akiyama had wanted, what his business dealings entitled, and why he was interested in what was essentially his empire, "and what do you hope to accomplish by doing that?"

"That is none of your concern," Akiyama began scratching his head casually looking down at the worn cement. He looked up and calmly asked, "So tell me, what happened to the boy?"

Koukastu felt the color drain from his face. It couldn't be. It was improbable that Akiyama knew about that small little detail the night Kengen was murdered. Surely the man before him did not know that the strange dog like boy was missing. Steadily he responded, "Boy?"

"Yes the boy you and that brute Hitodenashi proceeded into turning into a punching bag," the words rolled off his tongue with distaste.

"What about him?" Koukastu spat.

"You really have no idea what he really is, do you?" Koukastu immediately felt ill. He had not thought of the mysterious boy in a week, the day Kengen died, thinking it was a problem that had been resolved. He certainly did not expect Akiyama to concern himself with the welfare of such a child. "I don't care what he is."

His usual mask gone, confusion and irritation was written on Akiyama' face. Crossing his arms in front of his chest he calmly stated, "you have no idea where the child is, do you?"

"Why do you care?" Koukastu asked taking a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket. To him, the boy was nothing more than an unusual child. "What is he to you?"

"Nothing." He watched as Koukastu tentatively remove a cigarette from his pack and cautiously light it sweat forming on his forehead. Akiyama placed his hands behind his neck and smiled, "Don't think you control the strings Koukastu," he hissed. "There are secrets too strange to comprehend. Your victory is a delicate one. I suggest you tread carefully."

"Asshole," Koukastu hissed as he watched Akiyama tuck his hands into his pockets once again and quickly walk down the sidewalk, his tie fluttering about. He shook his head and not looking back headed in the opposite direction, wanting to place as much distance between himself and the conniving blonde.

Akiyama had reached the end of the block, pausing to turn around. The corner lay vacant, a cigarette smoldering on the cement. He smirked; his lip curling upwards slightly before turning the corner muttering, "Ignorant fool."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sorry for the delay. These chacters are so despicable in what they do that I have a hard time writing these chapters. But it needs to be done to move the story along. I hope as you read this you get a sense of how mean and hard they are.


	9. A Toast

A Toast

Koukastu took a large sip of his whiskey, draining the remaining amber liquid from his glass, barely amused by the young woman clad in a short dress and knee high boots, her face caked in several layers of make up. He should have enjoyed her presence, aware that his evening would likely end in the bed of a young woman.

But the chance encounter with the elusive Akiyama ate at his conscious. He knew that taking control of the organization in such a swift and daring manner would be perilous but he did not like surprises like the one he had a mere few hours earlier. Koukastu had merely dictated orders the day after Kengen died, insinuating that he was the natural successor, a move that had worked well. Yet he masked his emotions and no one at the table knew of his encounter with the elusive blonde Akiyama earlier.

At the same table sat the ever-quiet Hitodenashi and three junior men, all his family, as each swore undying loyalty to the clan and devotion greater than their natural families. The day after Kengen died, Koukastu had assembled each member of his family and slowly broke the news to them. He vowed he would look after them and he could see in their faces trust and loyalty

An attractive hostess, each scantily clad in a short dress and tall shoes, accompanied each man at the table. And each man appeared pleased with the arrangement, enjoying the sweet nothings they whispered in their ears.

Hitodenashi and the three junior men raised their glasses in a toast, turning their gazes to Koukastu. He smiled holding his glass up, which the young woman in the short dress and knee-high boots quickly filled.

"To the future!" Hitodenashi proclaimed, to which everyone at the table downed their glasses with ease. Koukastu allowed a small toothless smile to spread across his lips.

However, his joy had been tarnished by his chance meeting with Akiyama a few hours earlier. Akiyama had challenged him, told him he knew secrets that only Kengen possessed. Koukastu had laughed at the thought that Akiyama had held secrets about the organization. But he knew about the strange boy, the boy that only he and Hitodenashi had known about, and that thought scared him.

Koukastu knew he needed to instill confidence in his men and masking his emotions he stood up and began, "I feel I should say a few things about our great and dearly missed leader Kengen."

"He was a forward thinking leader, who realized the value of following the lessons of the past but also recognized seeking out new ideals. We all have learnt from his example." Koukastu then held his glass aloft

"Well, said," Hitodenashi mumbled. Everyone raised their glasses and somberly took a sip. Koukastu nodded as Hitodenashi stood up and held his glass aloft, "Kengen always treated me with respect. I will sorely miss him." This was followed by two more similar words of respect from two of the junior members. However, Koukastu felt his heart stopped at what was said next.

"Kengen was an amazing leader with amazing strength," Otani, a junior associate, commented. "To me, he will always be an amazing person. I watched him once rip the door off a car and yank Matsumoto out and knock him unconscious with one swing. And that is how I will remember him." The junior associate took a large sip of his whisky before continuing, "Now Matumoto is a rather large and stronge man, which made the feat even more impressive. Kengen then reached into his pocket and take a fat envelope from his jacket before leaving the area, not caring that he had several witnesses."

Koukastu glared at Otani, wiping his moist forehead with a wrinkled handkerchief. It wasn't possible for a man, even one as powerful as Kengen, to accomplish those feats. He eyed his companions. Hitodenashi was as usual a faceless mask, even while intoxicated. The two juniors next to him were pink faced. Perhaps it was time to call it a night.

However, He chose to let the party continue, hoping that the confession Otani spoke would be forgotten in a haze of alcohol by morning. Koukastu ordered several more rounds of drinks, careful not to indulge too much himself. And quicker than he realized, the party began to wind down.

As Koukastu made his way down the street, he could not shake Otani's words out of his head. An eerily similar story had been told once before, by a business partner of Kengen at a teahouse in Asakusa, the geisha district of Tokyo. At the time, Koukastu surmised it to the sake and the storytelling edged on by the elegant geisha in the colorful kimono. But tonight, hearing another story by a different person, he began to wonder.

He thought of the words Akiyama spoke earlier. Perhaps there was more to the boy than he had thought. He was unusual enough, that was for sure. But he had never thought about what made the child so unusual and why Kengen had kept him. Perhaps there were secrets of his leader he was not aware about.

The new leader turned a corner to come face to face with a familiar, if unfriendly, face. His heart skipped a beat. He was alone facing Kengen's greatest adversary. "How interesting to run into you, alone."

"Yes, it is most interesting to run into you Kanaye," Koukastu coldly replied leaning against a light post crossing his arms. Koukastu looked at this powerful man with shaggy hair that barely fell to his shoulders.

"I will be watching you," Kanaye stated. "Now that you no longer have Kengen to protect you."

"I don't need Kengen to protect me!" Koukastu angrily spat. "I never did and never will. I can take care of myself."

Kanaye laughed and removed the chrome cigar case from his inner pocket of his jacket and placed it between his fat lips and looked at Koukastu spitefully, "How close were you to your boss anyway? You don't seem to be aware of anything that goes down."

"I am more aware of the goings on of this city than all of the officials in the government," Koukastu dully stated as a sweat bead began to form on his forehead.

"Bullshit!" Kanaye hissed. "Now that Kengen has died, half the gentleman's clubs in Shinjuku have called on our organization for security. We have been in this city for half a century and people trust us."

Koukastu swallowed as he watched Kanaye remove a chrome cigar cutter and cleanly slice the end of his cigar with it. Pulling out a wooden match, he drawled lighting his cigar, "Ahh the pleasures of a fine cigar."

Kanaye sucked in a few puffs of his cigar casually looking over at Koukastu with mild curiosity. "Most people in this town find pleasure in a cigarette, but you loose a lot of the flavor."

"And what does your taste in cigars have anything to do with this conversation?"

"Not a thing," Kanaye muttered. "Not a thing at all." He puffed on his cigar for a few minutes then glanced over at Koukastu once again before taking a few steps closer to him, "You know nothing you little piece of shit!"

Kanaye swung his fist into Koukastu's stomach sending him stumbling backwards into a car. Puffing at the cigar between his lips, he continued to lay his fists into Koukastu, "not so tough without your lackey," he puffed, "all bark but no show."

"I'll show you," Koukastu grunted standing up wiping the blood from his lips. Kanaye took a step back and laughed, "It seems even you do not posses the secret to Kengen's strength."

Koukastu gritted his teeth as he leaned against the car and glared at Kanaye, seeing uncertainty in the anger in his eyes. He wondered what Kengen had done to this man, his curiosity piqued. "You know nothing of Kengen."

"I know more than you do," Kanaye hissed before turning and walking away. Koukastu kept his eye on the retreating figure. He spat blood onto the sidewalk, then walked away determined to discover what secrets Kengen had been hiding from him. And somehow, he knew it was all related to the boy.

_Kengen, what did you not tell me…  
_

* * *

Another chapter done. Whew, these dark chapters can be hard to write. Next chapter we return to Inuyasha and Kagome and little Hikaru. 


	10. A New Home

A New Home

On a hard wooden bench in the hallway of the orphanage, Inuyasha sat with his arms crossed gazing at the scrubbed linoleum floor. Outside a hard rain was pounding on the structure, creating a hypnotic drum on the building. The sound of the rain and the soulless white hallway soon began to set the hanyou on edge.

"What the hell are they doing in there?" he grunted to no one in particular in the deserted hallway. It had been over an hour since Kagome and Ayume disappeared into the office to complete the last bit of paperwork and Inuyasha could feel his agitation grow, as if the sterile white walls were closing in on him. But it wasn't the modern clothing- simple jeans and sneakers-or the desire to go home, or even the rain that was eating on his nerves, it was the amount of time that it was taking to complete this process and that left him uneasy.

He looked down at his hands resting in his lap, the small bracelet of small wooden beads around his left wrist catching his attention. Twenty-seven simple beads were strung on this cord, one fourth of a Buddhist prayer string. This simple bracelet was a gift from Miroku who had visited him several months into his training with Sango in tow, suggesting that he "needed to learn to meditate."

"I do enough of that," Inuyasha had muttered frowning at him as Sensei Ryuu had him meditating several times a day usually in harsh weather or some other unpleasant condition. He said nothing further on the matter as he poured out some tea for them.

"Really?" Sango countered raising an eyebrow eliciting a growl from the hanyou, showing how serious he was. Inuyasha, despite his irritation at their disbelief that he actually meditated and studied, had noticed Miroku and Sango glancing at each other with astonishment in their eyes but said nothing trying to determine what was so different about them. Smiling he finally spoke, "Monk, what happened to your robes?"

Miroku grinned widely and shrugged, "One usually sheds the robes of a monk when one plans to marry." Inuyasha put down his teacup and smiled at the both of them. He recalled feeling happy for them but the news also exacerbated his own loneliness at the time. Quietly he muttered, "Congratulations. I'm glad you found each other."

Sango must have sensed his sadness and took his hand into hers whispering, "you have just begun a new life. You will find happiness." Inuyasha recalled nodding in response, thinking of Kagome and hoping that she had found her peace. He then spied the small box opened to reveal the bracelet lying on the floor between them. He picked up the box that and removed the bracelet slipping it onto the wrist of his left hand, where it remained to this day.

And from that day, Inuyasha would look at the bracelet reminding him of the friendship he shared with Miroku and Sango, a reminder that he wasn't alone.

Inuyasha smiled at the memory as he fingered the first bead with his thumb and forefinger, saying the sutra the _Hannya Shingyo_ quietly which Inuyasha used to remind himself that insight can only be obtained through nonattachment.

This chant is also called the Heart Sutra, for to understand its teachings you must understand it with your heart. For Inuyasha, this simple Buddhist teaching had helped him to detach himself from the anger of the past and each day he felt himself moving closer to enlightenment. He moved on to the next bead repeating the chant silently and slowly moved his way over all the beads in the bracelet.

A door swung open, creating a squeaking noise, and Kagome quickly stepped out and into the hallway, her high-heeled shoes click clacking on the linoleum tiles. "I'm sorry it's taking so long, but there are still a few loose ends that need to be tied up."

"Tied up?" Inuyasha quietly replied, almost in a whisper, looking up at Kagome. He did not like the tone in her voice and suspected something was wrong. Kagome placed a hand on his shoulder and sighed, "Some of the physicians are worried about his problems."

"Problems?" Inuyasha hissed his voice quiet. "There is nothing wrong with that kid."

"You and I know that but we can't just say he's a hanyou. You know what kind of trouble that would bring," Kagome whispered back.

"I know that," Inuyasha hissed, his voice still quiet He looked at his hands and balled his fist then returned his gaze to Kagome. "But are we going to be able to take him home today?"

"Ayume is drafting some papers right now that should clear some things up and you need to sign a few things and we should be good to go," Kagome smiled, reassuring him. Inuyasha smiled, not entirely convinced that this would solve their problem, as he followed her into the office

However, Kagome and Inuyasha found themselves waiting in the hallway once the last of the papers had been signed. The steady drum of the rain had dulled to barely a whisper, the natural light streaming into the window growing brighter.

"I guess the rain is letting up," Kagome commented taking Inuyasha's hand in hers, gently running her fingers over his. Inuyasha closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall, grateful for her comforting touch. "That's good. It'll make the drive home easier."

Kagome squeezed Inuyasha's hand, reassuring him. He abhorred enclosed spaces as do all youkai, but he had learned patience and knew he would be fine. Inuyasha squeezed her hand back as he felt the impending anxiety from being trapped in the sterile orphanage drain from him.

A squeaking sound came from the end of the hallway as a door was carefully opened followed by the sound of two sets of footsteps and the call of Ayume's voice, "Inuyasha, Kagome."

Inuyasha opened his eyes and lifted his head to look at Ayume and Hikaru standing quietly next to her, the small stuffed cat tightly clutched in his arms his eyes large with uncertainty. Ayume's eyes shone as a large smile spread across her lips, "you can go home now."

"Jii-chan, Okasan and Souta must be worried," Inuyasha, mused eliciting a smile from Kagome who added with a knowing smirk, "Souta has probably driven Okasan crazy with excitement."

Souta Higurashi anxiously sat on the tatami floor of Kagome and Inuyasha's dining room before the low table cradling Izayoi in his arms, his long dark hair falling over his shoulders as the infant on the verge of crying. He bounced her slightly hoping it would calm the infant but that only resulted in making her cry softly. "I'm sorry Izayoi, I can't rumble my chest like your daddy does."

"You're too excited Souta," Mrs. Higurashi explained taking Izayoi in her arms. "Remember what Kagome and Inuyasha said. She's one quarter youkai so she can sense your emotions more than a human infant can and react to that"

"Right," the adolescent university student nonchalantly replied smiling looking down at the fresh tatami mat. He could not recall feeling as happy as he had the past three days, the day Inuyasha pulled him aside before class with a serious look on his face, "Souta I need to ask you something."

"Um sure," Sota replied recognizing the nervous look in Inuyasha's eye.

"Well as you may already know by now, Kagome and I are going to have another child."

"Kagome's pregnant again! Wow you guys sure don't waste time!" Souta exclaimed rather loudly. Inuyasha quickly whacked him in the back of the head with the palm of his hand, "No, Kagome's not pregnant! If you can keep your mind off the opposite sex for one second you'll get the whole story."

"But I wasn't thinking about girls," Souta quickly replied as his eyes focused on something behind Inuyasha.

"Never mind that," Inuyasha said in a low voice, changing the subject. "Now do you remember that Kagome and I went to an orphanage to look at a hanyou child?" Inuyasha said slowly through gritted teeth.

"Yeah," Souta nodded. Two young inu youkai women dressed in colorful cotton yukata strolled by on the cobblestone sidewalk, "Hi Souta!"

"Hi girls," he sheepishly replied placing a hand behind his head. Inuyasha turned to see the two girls giggle and wave at him. Inuyasha turned around and whacked him in the back of the head, "I said pay attention!"

Souta smiled and adjusted his ponytail and quickly wiped the smile off his face when he saw Inuyasha glaring at him, "as you were saying."

"Well we are going to be adopting this child and we wanted to know if you would like to be his godfather." A large smile came across Souta's face, "Really!"

"Yes, we're serious," Inuyasha smiled. Smirking he added, "so can we count on you?"

"You don't have to ask me," Souta exclaimed. "Of course I'll do it!"

Souta smiled as he thought of the memory and looked up at his mother as she bounced Izayoi in her arms, the infant had calmed down and was smiling. Mrs. Higurashi looked at Souta smiled, "You'll be a great godfather."

"You think so," Souta exclaimed pulling the long naginata sword off the wall and swinging it in front of him. He spun performing an intricate move, his long hair flying around his face and his blue hakama and kimono sleeves moving gracefully with his body

"Yes I think so," Mrs. Higurashi replied. "Inuyasha and Kagome trust you. Now if you're done playing with Kagome's naginata I need you to watch Izayoi while I get started on dinner."

Jii-chan had been seated at the low table reading the newspaper, ignoring the conversation between his daughter and grandson. Although the years had been kind to him, he now moved a little slower but his mind was as sharp as ever. Keeping his eye on his newspaper, he commented. "You better put that back the way you found it!"

Smiling, Souta carefully placed the naginata on the wall just as he recalled it was resting before. He took the infant into his arms, "Izayoi, you don't know how lucky you are to have Inuyasha and Kagome as your parents. I bet as soon as you can walk they're gonna put a sword and bow in your hands."

"Don't be silly Souta!" Mrs. Higurashi exclaimed glaring at her son. But as she looked at Izayoi in Souta's arms she could not help but think about her parents, wondering what was keeping her two young charges.

"I can't believe dog-boy is leaving!"

"Who are they?"

"Is he being adopted?"

"Who would adopt him?"

Although the other children spoke softly, Hikaru heard each scathing comment with his sensitive ears and could feel the eyes of the other children fall on him as he was led down to the front office. Clutching the stuffed cat Kagome and Inuyasha gave him, he began to grow nervous as he was unsure as to why he was leaving. This was a place where unwanted children went, with the remote possibility of being adopted, but that never happened the other children told him. He wasn't like anyone else he had seen before so the fact that someone wanted to take him home frightened him.

Inuyasha growled softly as he had heard the children muttering as Hikaru passed by them. Kagome took hold of Inuyasha's arm and looked at his face inquiringly to see him gazing at the group of children sitting on the bench and understood.

"C'mon, what are you looking at?" Inuyasha said as the boy looked back once they reached the exit.

"Nothing," Hikaru muttered looking at the ground and was escorted outside, carefully limping own the sidewalk and into a small black car. Inuyasha fussed with the child seat causing Hikaru to frown in confusion at him before he gave up, "Kagome you deal with it!"

Kagome giggled as Inuyasha stepped aside and she adjusted the straps. Smiling she patted his head and said, "it'll take us an hour to get home from here."

Hikaru nodded nervously and looked out the window to marvel at the city he lived in for five years but never truly saw. It was bright and frightening at the same time, full of tall buildings, bright signs, and lots and lots of people. He was glad he was inside the car and not out on the street where he could get lost.

Slowly the vast expanse of buildings and neon slowly vanished to be replaced by trees and the occasional dwelling. He soon came to realize that the car was scaling up a lone mountain and soon saw strange buildings he had never seen the likes of before made with swooping awnings. Suddenly the car stopped at a large two-story building with a curved tile roof and a carefully tended garden surrounding it.

"Okay, here we are!" Kagome announced, causing Inuyasha to stretch and yawn loudly. She opened her car door and stepped out of the car smiling at Inuyasha, "Sleeping beauty, we're home."

Inuyasha glared at her, before exiting the car and opening the door for Hikaru. He looked at the straps concentrating for a moment before managing to unfasten them and lift Hikaru out of the car seat, smirking at his accomplishment.

"Is this where you live?" he asked quizzically looking at the large building. There were students of all ages mulling around in black flowing hakama pants and white gi kimono carrying wooden swords. A few individuals roamed around in black outer gi kimono, identifying them as sempai the more advanced students.

Inuyasha knelt down next to Hikaru and wrapped an arm around him. "This," he exclaimed gesturing with his arm and a grin, "this is your legacy."

Hikaru nodded, not sure what Inuyasha meant or what the strange people in the strange large black pants were doing. Kagome placed a hand on his shoulder and knelt down to his level, "We run a school teaching kendo, sword fighting."

"Will I have to learn how to fight with a sword?" Hikaru asked nervously. Inuyasha held his breath. The discipline of the sword, its beauty had essentially saved his life. Of course he would want nothing less for his children. But he also knew he could not force Hikaru or Izayoi to understand the way of the sword. And Hikaru would need patience and time to heal. So he calmly replied, "Only if you want to."

"Okay," the boy quietly responded. Kagome smiled and stood up, "Come on, lets go to your new home."

Inuyasha held open the heavy gate and instructed "Go on." Hikaru slowly stepped through the gateway and carefully walked over the stepping-stones as if he was willing his legs not to skip over them. However, once he reached the garden he happily ran over the small curved bridge stopping once he was on the other side to warily look at Kagome and Inuyasha.

The front door slid open and Souta stepped outside and looked down at Hikaru, a large smile on his face. Hikaru took a step back and swallowed as Inuyasha knelt behind him and whispered in his ear, "this is your uncle and godfather Souta."

Souta kneeled down and smiled quietly saying, "hello."

"Um, hello," Hikaru whispered as he stared at Souta tentatively. Kagome leaned down a little and whispered pushing him gently towards the door, "lets go inside."

Slowly Souta stood up and took Hikaru's hand and slowly led him into the house where Mrs. Higurashi was waiting for him. She knelt down to his level and smiled as Souta introduced him, "Why hello Hikaru, I bet you're hungry. Do you want something to eat?"

Hikaru immediately liked this woman and smiled softly nodding his head slowly. Mrs. Higurashi appeared delighted in his answer. Souta led him to the low table and seated him across from Jii-chan, who put his newspaper down to look at the boy.

"So what is your name?" he smiled.

"Hikaru," the child quietly replied looking at the strange man with curiosity.

"And how old are you?" Jii-chan inquired further adjusting his glasses.

"I'm five," Hikaru politely replied. Souta sat down next to him and explained, "This is your great-grandfather." Hikaru tentatively nodded, eyeing the scene before him. Inuyasha and Kagome finally stepped inside with great enthusiasm.

"Ears," Hikaru whispered aloud as he watched Inuyasha pick up Izayoi from her crip and hold the squirming child in the air with a look of joy on his face, "Were you a good little girl or did you keep your grandma busy?"

"She was a perfect angel," Mrs. Higurashi replied laughing. Inuyasha glanced over to where Hikaru was sitting and noticed the boy watching them intently. He then walked over to the boy and sat down next to him.

"Hikaru meet your little sister Izayoi." Izayoi sniffed the air with her little button nose taking in this new person while Hikaru stared transfixed at her amber eyes, her small claw-like hands, and most importantly her dog like ears lined with black fur. He thought she was beautiful.

"She-she has ears like me?"

"Yes she does!" Inuyasha said kissing her ear, causing it to twitch. "She is supposed to." He observed the child who gazed at Izayoi with wonder and wondered how he ended in an orphanage.

"Hikaru, do you even know what you are?" Inuyasha finally asked. The child timidly shook his head.

"Follow me," he said as Kagome took Izayoi and lead the boy away to the sitting room and gestured to him to sit on the floor with him. Inuyasha looked down at the tatami then at the confused boy before, his mind desperately searching for the right words.

"Well," Inuyasha sighed, "do you know what a youkai is?" Hikaru looked at Inuyasha thoughtfully then slowly shook his head. The room was warm and the air stale so Inuyasha stood up and opened the shoji door leading to the garden behind the house inhaling the fresh breeze.

With his back to Hikaru, he then brought his hand to his ponytail and untied the leather cord allowing his hair to spill onto his shoulders and his unique ears to pop out of his hair. Turning around and smiling, Inuyasha proclaimed, "You and I aren't so different."

Hikaru scooted back with uncertainty and glared at Inuyasha. Inuyasha sat down where he was and ran his claws through his hair for a few moments before he spoke again, "A youkai is a very special being that looks like a human but has special powers of nature. You and I are half inu youkai and half human which is why we have our ears and claws and fangs and can hear and smell really good."

"Oh," Hikaru said his eyes wide open with astonishment, trying to take all this information in. Suddenly he did not know why but he felt faint and weak.

Inuyasha walked over to the child and picked him up and carried him outside sitting down on the porch that led to the garden. Hikaru snuggled comfortably in Inuyasha's lap and looked out into the small rock garden that framed the house and sighed feeling something strange stirring within him.

"You want to run, don't you?" Inuyasha whispered. Hikaru nodded to which Inuyasha said, "Not yet, you need to heal first."

Hikaru turned his head to glare at Inuyasha who gently smiled, "It's okay. No one is going to hurt you anymore." The child glared at Inuyasha for a few more minutes before turning to look out into the garden. The two stayed that way for a while Inuyasha scratching Hikaru's ear and rumbled his chest. Hikaru felt his body relax.

"Can you do something for me?" Inuyasha whispered. Hikaru did as he was asked and Inuyasha continued gesturing out into the landscape, "Using your ears and your eyes and your nose, tell me what you know about all this."

"Um, I smell something sweet up in the air," Hikaru explained pointing to a specific tree.

"That would be persimmons you smell," Inuyasha kindly explained. "Go on."

"Um, there is water over there," Hikaru continued pointing to his left where there was a particularly dense patch of bamboo. His ears drooping he added, "But I don't see any water."

"That's because the pond is in back of that bamboo." Inuyasha watched at the child's ears perked atop his head. Inuyasha scratched one of his ears affectionately, "You did very well. No ordinary human can smell that. That is what makes you and me so special."

"Oh," Hikaru replied as Inuyasha hugged him close. "Is Kagome special too?"

"Yes, she is," Inuyasha, laughed. "Kagome is not like us. She is a miko, a very powerful one at that." Kagome stepped into the doorway, having heard the latter part of their conversation and smiled before interrupting them, "Is everything okay?"

Inuyasha turned around keeping Hikaru securely in his lap and smiled, "Everything is fine."

"Good," she replied as Hikaru turned around to look at her. "Hikaru, lets get you cleaned up before dinner, okay?"

"But I haven't gotten dirty," Hikaru replied with fear in his voice cringing in Inuyasha's arms as his ears drooped again. Inuyasha rubbed Hikaru's back and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry you did nothing wrong and it'll be nice to get the scent of that orphanage off you."

Kagome held out her hand and Hikaru tentatively stood up and took it. She led him to a large bathroom. However, she soon became concerned as she saw the bruises across his body. Hikaru turned away and tried to shield himself as he saw her looking at the marks on his body.

"Don't worry," Kagome whispered. "I won't hurt you." Hikaru turned around and lowered his arms. On the upper part of his chest was a bruise that had an imprint of a boot.

"Does it hurt?" Kagome gently asked.

"It's just a scratch," Hikaru lied, despite the fear that radiated from his eyes. Kagome gasped at that simple phrase that Inuyasha had used so many times before. He was so young yet had already learned to hide his pain. The similarities between Inuyasha and Hikaru were jarring.

"What happened?" Kagome whispered.

"I won't make a noise, I promise," Hikaru whimpered taking a step back. Kagome frowned as she gazed gently at the boy.

"Okay, just have a seat on the stool and I'll be gentle," she coaxed. Fearfully, Hikaru did as he was told. Kagome quickly but carefully bathed him, making sure not to irritate any of the bruises and cuts as Hikaru remained still on the stool.

Changed into familiar purple hakama pants and a gray kimono Inuyasha stood in the doorway of the bathroom watching Kagome dry Hikaru off noticing the cuts and bruises that lined the boy's body. He looked down at the wood floor as he gripped the doorframe in anger.

_How could this happen again?_ Inuyasha pondered.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome called out knowing what he was thinking about. The hanyou looked up and stuttered holding up a bundle, "Um, you left his clothes in our bedroom."

The room felt stifling to Inuyasha so deposited the clothing on an empty stool and abruptly left walking into the dining room where he sat down before the low table looking down at its smooth surface and the tableware that was set upon it.

Souta and Mrs. Higurashi glanced at each other before the elder woman sat down next to her son in law, "Inuyasha are you okay?"

"Okasan," Inuyasha muttered, "I don't want to remember." Mrs. Higurashi placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently, "I know dear, but your memories can help him."

"How so?" Inuyasha darkly replied looking Mrs. Higurashi in the eye.

"Do you remember what you felt? What you feared? What you needed?" Mrs. Higurashi replied. Inuyasha stared into her face then nodded. "Well that is what Hikaru is feeling and you know what he needs. Use these memories to help you."

Inuyasha smiled, feeling slightly foolish but mostly relieved, "You always know what to say."

"Is everyone hungry?" Kagome called from the doorway, dressed in a formal houmongi kimono of a rock garden and a blue gray obi with the Buddhist sutra _Hannya Shingyo_ in beautiful Kanji written on it. Next to her Hikaru stood dressed in a light blue kimono with colorful fish painted across it and black hakama pants.

"Hikaru, you look so handsome!" Mrs. Higurashi announced. Hikaru merely pursed his lips not sure what to say. Kagome leaned down and softly said, "Go take a seat at the table." He carefully walked over to the table revealing a slight limp and sat down on the cushion between Inuyasha and Souta.

"Izayoi is in her crib," Mrs. Higurashi stated and added, "but she has been fed." Kagome nodded and sat down and smiled at the feast her mother and Souta had prepared. There was a variety of sushi glistening on its plate, a large bowl of miso soup, bowls of rice, deep fried soft-shell crab, fresh seaweed, and grilled fish.

"You really outdid yourself mama!" Kagome proclaimed clasping her hands in front of her. Mrs. Higurashi laughed, "Well, dig in before the boys eat it all."

"I don't know what you are talking about," Souta mumbled placing a few pieces of sushi on Hikaru's plate, as Inuyasha merely grunted in response to Kagome's comment. Smirking he leaned down and whispered to Hikaru, "Are you going to finish all that?"

Hikaru nodded and watched as everyone picked up their chopsticks and began to eat. Never given the dignity of eating at a table or with chopsticks he did not know what to do but he did not want to risk punishment. Eyeing Inuyasha, he gripped the chopsticks carefully and guided them around a succulent piece of deep pink tuna sushi, but the sushi slipped out of his chopstick's grip and slid onto the plate. Frowning, he tried once again only succeeding in having the sushi slip through his chopsticks and the tuna separating from the rice.

Inuyasha and Souta had both been watching Hikaru struggle with his chopsticks and glanced at each other as if thinking the same thought then laid their chopsticks against the ceramic chopstick rests and picked up their pieces of sushi with their fingers.

"I think this is the start of a new trend," Souta announced popping a piece of salmon sushi in his mouth.

"Yeah, who needs chopsticks?" Inuyasha added as he reached for a fried soft-shell crab. He ripped off a leg with his fingers and offered it to Hikaru, "Here, try this."

Hikaru stared at the crab for a moment before carefully grabbing it with his fingers and eating it, a small smile forming at his lips. It was quite unlike anything he had tasted before and he wanted to taste more.

"How is it?" Inuyasha whispered leaning down. Hikaru looked up at him and quietly replied, "It's good." Inuyasha placed the rest of the crab on Hikaru's plate, who frowned before replying, "But that's your food."

"You eat it," Inuyasha smiled reaching for another one. Hikaru quietly ate his crab using his fingers. When he finished, Souta pointed to a piece of eel sushi on his plate and instructed, "You should try that, it's good."

Hikaru nodded and followed suit enjoying the flavor, daringly trying another piece that had been placed in his dish.

Kagome, who had been quietly eating, smiled at Inuyasha and Souta's antics. She wasn't about to concern herself with Hikaru's inability to use chopsticks. He would have plenty of time to learn that. What bothered her was how troubled the child looked, as if he was waiting for something not so pleasant to happen. But with Inuyasha's and Souta's prodding, he was eating.

"So Souta, what is new with you?" Inuyasha asked, breaking the silence. Souta swallowed the grilled fish he had been eating then explained, "I think I'm gonna start a band."

"You can sing?" Inuyasha taunted pouring some of the miso soup into a bowl for Hikaru and placed it before him, demonstrating how to use a spoon. Souta took a sip of tea and coolly replied, "Yes, I can sing."

"You think so?" Jii-chan stated. Mrs. Higurashi frowned and giver her father a reproaching look, "Souta, don't listen to him. You sing good."

Kagome and Inuyasha looked at each other laughing as Mrs. Higurashi added, "My father does not like modern music and does not think it befitting for a Shinto priest in training to engage in that kind of music."

"What's not to like about some good rock music," Inuyasha stated between bites of food, "A little bit of yelling never hurt anyone."

"And what brought this about?" Kagome asked, attempting to hide the smirk across her face. Gritting his teeth Souta replied, "You'll see."

"Yeah, we'll see," Inuyasha chuckled between bites of grilled fish and rice. Kagome clasped her hands together and smiled, "I think it's wonderful to express yourself and if playing music makes you happy you should do it."

"Your sister is right. You should always follow your hear," Mrs. Higurashi added. Souta smiled, "Thanks, guys."

Hikaru had eaten most of the food on his plate and was watching the conversation intently, liking these people so far. Inuyasha looked at Hikaru's empty plate and leaned down whispering in his ear, "How are you doing? Do you want more?"

Hikaru looked at Inuyasha expectantly then nodded. Inuyasha smiled and asked, "Do you want to try something else or more of something you liked?"

"Um," Hikaru stuttered before saying, "I liked the crab."

"You can have some more," Inuyasha smiled placing one more crab on the child's plate, which Hikaru eagerly bit into.

As Hikaru finished his last bite of crab, Kagome noticed that his eyes were beginning to droop despite his best efforts to stay awake. Souta, Mrs. Higurashi, and Jii-chan stayed for dessert, traditional Japanese sweets made of gelatinous rice pounded and molded into intricate shapes filled with sweet red beans, melon, and strawberries that Hikaru ate rather quickly.

After their guests left to return to Tokyo, Inuyasha picked up Hikaru and carried and followed Kagome to a small, but rather comfortable bedroom that carried the sweet scent of fresh tatami. There was a table and chair in the corner small enough for a child and a large futon mattress on the floor. A shoji screen window framed the wall.

"Do you want a night light on?" Kagome asked as she pulled the quilt on the bed, gesturing for him to crawl into bed. Hikaru tentatively sat cross-legged on the edge of the futon and nodded.

"Okay," Kagome smiled as she switched the small lamp on. "There is also a night light in the hallway just in case you have to go to the bathroom, okay?"

"Okay," he replied as Kagome laid a soft blanket over him. She then kissed him on the cheek, "sweet dreams."

"Good night little one," Inuyasha said as he leaned down to kiss his new son on the forehead. Hikaru looked up and with uncertainty in his voice, "good night Inuyasha."

The shoji doors slid shut and Hikaru was finally alone. Yet despite the fatigue, he could not help but feel anxious. So much had happened to him in the course of the day that a even full-grown youkai would feel anxious.

_I'm half human and half youkai_; he thought in disbelief, still not sure what that meant. _So are there more people like me._

Hikaru's head was so full of questions he could not to drift off to sleep. Carefully he slipped out of the bed and limped as quietly as he could to the window sliding it open to breathe in the fragrant air.

Outside on the soft grass sat Kagome gazing at the clear night sky. Hikaru looked up, smiling at the millions of twinkling stars for the first time. He gasped as suddenly, soundlessly, Inuyasha gracefully leapt down his voluminous clothing rippling softly with his movements landing on one foot before leaping high in the air to land effortlessly next to Kagome.

"I brought you some tea," Kagome offered holding a ceramic cup up. Inuyasha shyly accepted the cup and sat down next to her replying with a quiet "thank you."

Hikaru watched as Inuyasha and Kagome sat on the grass looking at the sky, not saying a word to each other. Eventually Kagome leaned against Inuyasha who wrapped an arm around her as he whispered something in her ear. She turned her head to face him giggling softly as he brought his lips to hers.

The child at the window brought his hand to his mouth and gasped. Inuyasha and Kagome broke their kiss and gazed into each other's eyes. She brought her hand to his cheek as he leaned in closed to tell her something quietly.

"You know, we are so lucky to have Hikaru. He's such a good boy. He goes to sleep when he's supposed to," Kagome said rather loudly.

Hikaru froze and turned his back to the window, his heart beating fast. Did they know he was not in bed? Quickly he slid the window closed and limped back to the futon, pulling the sheets up to his nose. His heart was beating so quickly he could not fall asleep.

Yet his body was so tired and sore, and the futon so warm and inviting. Eventually his eyelids began to grow heavy and soon the child was asleep in the first comfortable bed he could remember.


	11. The Sun After The Rain

The Sun After The Rain

It appeared as if the clouds that hung over Tokyo the day before had migrated to Rinjihoshi, dropping heavy raindrops on the land. Inuyasha sat on the back porch looking out into the lush forest that lay just beyond his home. The wind was particularly strong sending raindrops under the awning and onto Inuyasha.

He had another dream that night, a nightmare of memories of a troubled past he'd rather forget. Kagome had been awake tending to Izayoi when he had awoken, covered in sweat. He was grateful she did not say much, but it still bothered him that she knew he had another one of these dreams.

Inuyasha had forced these memories out of his consciousness, but they always seemed to reappear in his dreams or when he was feeling melancholy. And today they were triggered by the healer's visit.

Hikaru had been so quiet as she looked at his injuries, refusing to speak as he looked at her distrustfully. But the moment the clothing was removed from his body and the extent of his injuries was seen Inuyasha began to feel ill.

"Does it hurt anywhere?" the healer, a kind looking young inu youkai woman in a simple blue cotton kimono.

"No," Hikaru boldly replied. Smiling, she asked, "Is it okay if I looked at your injuries?" Hikaru turned around to look at Inuyasha and Kagome, who nodded, Kagome leaned down and whispered in his ear, "It's okay. She wants to help you."

"Okay," he tentatively replied. She lifted his arms slightly and carefully ran her fingers over the larger bruises, frowning slightly as she noticed several unusual cuts on his forearms as if they had been made with a blade. She then looked at his legs and noticed the swelling on the lower left shin barely touching it causing Hikaru to gasp slightly.

"Oh sweetie," the healer said, "I know it hurts but you will get better."

"Healer Maname," Kagome inquired. The healer looked at Kagome and smiled reassuringly, "The bruises are beginning to heal but the leg is badly injured, a fracture the human doctors missed, and will take longer. And he is a bit thin and pale probably from not getting enough nutrition."

Both Inuyasha and Kagome looked at her in anticipation with worry on their faces. Smiling the young healer reassured them, "But his youkai blood appears strong so he should heal nicely."

But looking at the distant look in Hikaru's eyes as the healer explained what she had found triggered emotions in Inuyasha he had not felt since he was a boy. Feeling as if he was going to be ill he ran outside and into the rain. And that is where Kagome found him, sitting on the edge of the porch the ears on top of his head swiveling as she stepped outside. She kneeled next to him, a small towel in her hand, "you're all wet."

"I know," Inuyasha dully replied. Kagome looked out at the forest in the distance and stated, "I know you had another nightmare last night."

Inuyasha closed his eyes, tilting his head downward, "And I suppose you want me to talk about it."

"No," Kagome replied. Inuyasha opened his eyes and looked at her inquiringly. She took his hand in hers and quietly explained, "Just tell me what is going on right now."

"It's been so long since I felt those…_feelings_," Inuyasha began. "I was just a kid then but as I got bigger I forced myself to forget. Then one day I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't let _it_ happen again but looking at those injuries make me feel weak and ill…"

"Inuyasha, I know you like to think you are unbeatable but you just can't be in all places at the same time. It's impossible." Inuyasha looked down at his lap and nodded, "I know."

"But you are here now and that is what matters! We can set things right," Kagome added smiling as Inuyasha looked up at her, at the optimistic and hopeful young woman he had fallen in love with during the battles against Naraku, but was to insecure to do anything about it. And it was her optimism now that gave him strength. He squeezed her hands and nodded adding with a bit more enthusiasm in his voice, "I guess you are right."

"I need to run into town to get some more herbs and supplies for Hikaru so, um, are you going to be okay," Kagome began. Inuyasha took the towel from her and wrapped it around him, "It's raining, I can go get what you need."

"Don't worry about me," Kagome countered. "Besides the rain is letting up and I know what kind of herbs we're going to need." Inuyasha relented and nodded, as his knowledge of herbs while good was not as extensive as hers and his last excursion resulted in several return trips to the herbalist.

"The healer left some unguent that needs to be applied to the bruises twice a day and some medicine for the pain from his injuries but Hikaru would have none of it, can you give it a try?"

"Sure," Inuyasha replied as Kagome stood up. He followed her into the house nodding as she explained reaching for her dark red oiled paper umbrella and kimono coat, "Izayoi is in her crib sleeping and has been fed. I have some soup and rice balls in the kitchen in case you guys get hungry…"

"Just go! We'll be fine!" Inuyasha replied kissing Kagome quickly. She looked at him sternly, concern in her eyes, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Inuyasha softly replied tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "Now get going. Hikaru is going to need those herbs." Kagome nodded and quickly left. Inuyasha sighed and slowly made his way to Hikaru's room, thinking of a way to convince him to take his medicine as he sat cross-legged on the floor before the boy's futon.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Inuyasha whispered holding the jar in his hand that Hikaru was eyeing nervously from his seat on the futon. He began to tremble slightly looking up at Inuyasha with fear in his eyes. But something deep inside him was stirring telling him that he could trust this strange man.

_Now what? _ Inuyasha sighed in frustration; suddenly wishing Kagome was here to offer a suggestion.

_Well I could call Okasan_, Inuyasha mused. He closed his eyes and shook his head, refusing to rely on Kagome or Mrs. Higurashi for every little thing. Despite his trembling Hikaru frowned at Inuyasha's strange behavior, "Are you okay?"

"Oh yes," Inuyasha stammered. "Just thinking a bit there." He smiled, which caused Hikaru to scoot further away on the bed. Inuyasha opened the jar, sniffed the thick liquid, and smeared some of the unguent on his arm, noticing that it pleasantly tingled on the skin for a few seconds.

"See, it doesn't hurt at all! Can I put some on you now?" Hikaru eyed him anxiously but strangely gave in to the strange feeling and obliged, "Only a little."

Inuyasha nodded agreeing with the child and gently applied some to the large ugly bruise on his chest near his right arm. Hikaru blinked at the strange sensation on his skin but did not say anything. When he did not protest, Inuyasha moved to the other bruises noticing that the child was watching him warily.

"All done!" Inuyasha said closing the jar and helping the boy into his sleeping kimono. "Feel better?" Hikaru nodded, admitting that his bruises in fact were bothering him less.

"Good," Inuyasha said with a warm smile as he poured some strange liquid into a small cup sniffing it and making a facial expression in recognition. Making a strange face Inuyasha honestly told Hikaru, "I'm sorry but this doesn't taste very good, but it will take the hurt away."

"It will?" Hikaru whispered. Inuyasha nodded holding the cup before him. Hikaru glared at the cup then at Inuyasha before carefully taking it. Sniffing the cup, Hikaru wrinkled his nose, "are you sure?"

Inuyasha was stumped, certain that he had convinced Hikaru to take the medicine. But he had to admit as a child he was just as stubborn as Hikaru. He looked the child in the eye and responded, "I'm positive."

Still holding the cup, Hikaru shook his head despite the slight trembling in his hands. Inuyasha frowned his body suddenly feeling heavy with concern thinking, _He's afraid. Hell, I'd be scared out of my wits if I was he!_

"How about if I drink it first," Inuyasha pleaded knowing full well it would not harm him. "Then you take it."

"Okay," Hikaru whispered as Inuyasha took the cup from the child's fingers and quickly drank it. "See it wasn't so bad and I'm fine!"

Inuyasha measured out another dose of the liquid and passed it to his son. Hikaru eyed Inuyasha once more who nodded in encouragement and quickly drank it, pulling a face.

"I'm sorry it tastes bad Hikaru-chan, but bad taste means it will work! But I think this also calls for some mochi." Hikaru smiled as Inuyasha bounded out of the room returning with the sweet delicacy on a small plate. Inuyasha laughed as Hikaru quickly reached for it and ate it.

"Now why don't you get some rest," Inuyasha said pulling the sheets up, "And later you can play." Hikaru, who was quickly feeling drowsy, crawled under the sheets. Within minutes the child was asleep snoring softly.

Hikaru did not sleep long and awoke within half an hour, but his body was hurting a lot less. For the first time in ages, he actually felt rested despite all his injuries. He tentatively sat up in the bed and stretched his arms over his head, wondering why were they so kind to him. Eventually his curiosity got the better of him and he slipped out of the warmth of his bed.

Inuyasha had been in the kitchen when he smelt the pleasant scent of a child and heard the gentle patter of small footsteps behind him. He smiled as he tied his flowing sleeves back, and washed the dishes he had just dirtied. If allowing Hikaru watch him all day was going to help the boy trust him, so be it.

The child followed him to the nursery as he checked on a sleeping Izayoi in her crib. He knew Hikaru wanted to hold her. It was so evident in his eyes. Izayoi had been equally interested in her new brother. A silent bond appeared to form between the two new siblings, something both he and Kagome had noticed.

As Inuyasha left the nursery he could feel the child's eyes on him and his parental instincts yearning to turn around and take the small boy in his arms and tell him that he was safe, that no one would cut him or hurt him again.

Inuyasha sighed and stepped into the dining room and sat cross-legged on the fresh tatami next to the low table where Kagome had set the student roster lists. He needed to decide who had progressed enough and would sit for exams, an arduous task he had been avoiding for a week but could be avoided no longer.

From the hallway, Hikaru solemnly stood leaning against a wall watching the hanyou before him. He looked both heroic and rebellious in his royal blue kimono and hakama pants with a matching bandana around his head, restraining the longest hair he had seen on anyone wondering if his own hair would hang that low. Inuyasha was mysterious yet so like him, he could not help be fascinated by him.

Curious, he took a step forward and tripped over his injured leg, falling face forward onto the floor. Hikaru squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying not to cry from the pain as he feebly forced his body up.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," Hikaru heard Inuyasha whisper as a gentle hand was placed upon his back. Very carefully he was lifted up and wrapped in voluminous sleeves. The child curled into a ball and dug his face into Inuyasha's chest. "It hurts doesn't it, little one."

Hikaru froze in Inuyasha's arms, not sure what to do. Experience had told him to run, but he didn't know where to run. And once again he could feel that strange feeling stirring within him. He could feel the power in Inuyasha's gentle arms and knew he could not flee from someone as powerful as him. But Hikaru was so tired from the pain that he relaxed and looked up at the hanyou's face and realized that Inuyasha had carried him to the dining room and sat on the floor leaning against the wall his thick long hair falling down over him like a silky curtain.

Inuyasha's golden eyes gazed down at Hikaru's topaz eyes, showing concern not contempt. Hikaru clenched his fists and squeezed his eyes closed turning his head towards Inuyasha's chest once again. He could feel Inuyasha pull him closer and whisper, "It's okay to cry Hikaru."

The child continued to squeeze his eyes shut as a small tear leaked out of his left eye soon followed by several more. He gripped Inuyasha's shirt once again breathing the hanyou's distinctive scent and he began to sob. Inuyasha sat against the wall holding Hikaru close as the child sobbed. Eventually the sobbing stopped and Hikaru curled up in Inuyasha's arms hiccupping occasionally.

OoOoOoO

Kagome had trudged across Rinjihosi her tall rain geta making a soft "click-clack" sound against the slippery wet cobblestones as she made her way to the Tanigawa Farm and stepped into the warm greenhouse. Closing her oiled paper umbrella, Kagome smiled as the inu youkai woman in the simple brown kimono, Akemi Tanigawa, stepped into view bowing with a twinkle in her eye, "Ah, Sensei Taisho."

"Please, just call me Kagome," she blushed bowing back, unused to such formality. Akemi raised an eyebrow, "But you are also a Sensei, Kagome, you should be proud of such an honor."

Kagome smiled leaning the umbrella against a wall, "But before I was a Sensei I was a miko." The older woman laughed and led Kagome into the greenhouse and walked amongst the tables loaded with pots of herbs, "You haven't changed much since you and Inuyasha first arrived here."

This last comment elicited a chuckle from Kagome, recalling how it was a missed turn and a flat tire on the way to a remote Shinto shrine that led to the discovery of Rinjihoshi. She had been so angry with Inuyasha for not stopping to ask for directions. It was not long after that incident that both she and Inuyasha had relocated to Rinjihoshi, taking residence in a small one-bedroom apartment over a kimono designer's shop in the center of the village.

But they were happy. Inuyasha had started to teach kendo at the nearby tera koya, or temple school where all the children of the local area attended, and Kagome had found work assisting Akemi Tanigawa and her mate Daiki who taught her not only of plants and potions but also of life in Rinjihoshi and of the secrets that the youkai held.

The Tanigawa's nurtured her like a daughter, delighted in her wide-eyed curiosity, enthusiasm and eagerness to learn. And after a long day's work, they would often spot Inuyasha could be seen teaching Kagome all he knew about the sword in the fading light. Eventually Kagome mastered the naginata, the long spear like sword that was favored by the women of the samurai class.

Akemi led her to the center of the greenhouse and stopped, "Now what is it you need?" Kagome pulled out a slip of paper and read off an extensive list of herbs adding at the end, "all of them fresh, of course."

Akemi paused and glanced over at Kagome, "These herbs used in the right proportions are to be used in blood strengthening potions. What sort of trouble have you gotten yourselves into?"

Kagome frowned considering the weight of the woman's words, wondering if and when Hikaru's family would come searching for the child. She responded almost in a whisper, "We have taken in an orphan hanyou who is sick and needs these herbs."

"I see," Akemi replied quietly. "C'mon, let's get some herbs for you." Kagome nodded and followed her taking a large basket in her hand, mentally taking notes on how best to use them.

As Akemi finished wrapping the last of the herbs she turned to Kagome and said in all seriousness, "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call on us."

Kagome nodded solemnly, understanding the hidden meaning behind the words. For a hanyou child was rare, and one found all alone with no past was even rarer. Both women understood the implications of this situation and the possibility that his previous guardians would likely be looking for him. Kagome smiled and replied quietly, "Thank you."

"It looks like the rain is letting up," Akemi smiled. "You better head on home before it pours again." Kagome smiled as she opened the umbrella clutching the delicately wrapped package tightly as she stepped into the light rain bowing slightly, "Thank you, I hope to sit over tea with you soon."

"That would be nice," the herbalist replied.

OoOoOoO

The rain had slowed to a trickle and showed signs that the morning showers would soon stop by the time she reached home. Hikaru had calmed down considerably and was heartily eating lunch at the low dining table when Kagome stepped into the dining area laughing at Inuyasha's attempts to calm Izayoi who was having none of it and fussed in his arms. Kagome leaned down resting a hand on Hikaru's back and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," Hikaru replied between bites. Kagome smiled, pleased that he was eating. She frowned and smiled as Inuyasha was bouncing Izayoi who was half crying half huffing.

"Here, let me try," Kagome offered taking Izayoi into her arms but failing to calm the upset child. Sighing she explained, "It must be her teeth coming in."

"Yeah, figured out that much," Inuyasha mumbled looking away. Kagome smiled despite the fussing infant in her arms as she noticed a phone on the table, "So what did mother say to do?"

"Who says I called Okasan," Inuyasha harrumphed turning his back to her and crossing his arms. Kagome smiled, knowing that he had in fact called her mother. She had spied on him as he sneaked one of many phone calls to her on advise with Izayoi. Mysteriously, her mother never mentioned this to her.

"Well, don't worry, I got some herbs to make the unguent to soothe her," Kagome smiled causing Inuyasha to turn around and take Izayoi out of her arms, "Well get started."

Hikaru silently ate watching as Inuyasha try to distract Izayoi and Kagome grind some fresh leaves into a paste and add a strange liquid from a ceramic jar and allowed the mixture to set. She turned to Inuyasha and added, "You should get ready for class."

Inuyasha nodded dipping his finger into the paste and rubbing it against his daughter's gums smiling and sighing as her crying soon stopped. Inuyasha passed Izayoi to Kagome, "I'm going to get ready," and walked outside.

Having finished lunch, Hikaru followed Inuyasha outside and sat down on a dry spot under a tree watching as Inuyasha kneeled on the grass his wooden sword before him and his eyes closed in deep concentration. Slowly he bowed and stood up slowly swinging the sword around in a series of intricate movements. As he finished, Inuyasha turned his head to Hikaru and smiled.

"What are you doing?" Hikaru asked. Inuyasha squatted before him and held the wooden sword before him, "I was practicing. I am going to teach this to my students today."

There was a glint in the boys eye as he looked at Inuyasha, "I want to do that." Inuyasha's face lit up and a large smile spread across his face, "You will, but you need to get better first, okay?"

The ears on Hikaru's head drooped slightly as he politely nodded looking down at the grass. His smile gone from his face, Inuyasha ruffled Hikaru's hair slightly and quietly said, "Don't worry, you've got youkai blood in you. You'll heal soon enough."

Hikaru looked up at Inuyasha a quizzical look in his eyes as small smile growing on his lips. Inuyasha sighed in relief and added, "And I'll get you a wooden sword like this to practice with."

The small smile soon grew large as Inuyasha added, "I can't wait to teach you everything I know."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called out from the porch of the house. "You're going to be late if you don't get moving."

OoOoOoO

Inuyasha inhaled the pleasant scent of incense that permeated the dojo. It was imbedded in the smooth hardwood floors and the walls and ceiling. He watched as the children practiced their kata, preset attack and defense sequences, pleased with their progress. He liked teaching children. They were like clay, ready and eager to be molded into something beautiful. He slowly walked between them, gently correcting their mistakes and offering encouragement to improve their form.

Looking at the children's eager faces, he kept hearing Hikaru's eager admission to want to learn to use a sword. Inuyasha diverted his eyes from his pupils to his claws imagining what it would be like to teach him how to hold a sword, how to swing it.

The shouts of two children wielding wooden swords over their heads and shouting at each other diverted him from his thoughts. Inuyasha sighed as he marched over to the children, who had abandoned their wooden swords and were now on the floor wrestling each other.

"Why you?" shouted one of the boys, an inu hanyou with long white hair. This was quickly followed by the shout of a tall inu youkai boy with thick long red hair and amber eyes so dark they were almost brown, "I'll show you!"

"Hotaka, Inuryoku. Outside now!" Inuyasha snapped dragging the two boys by their arms. Inuryoku was Sesshomaru's son, named after Inuyasha himself because of the two dog-like ears atop his head that looked exactly like his uncle's and how noisy he was when he was born. Barely visible atop his forehead was a faint crescent moon much like his father's and his hair hung low down his back. A black bandana neatly concealed his ears.

Inuyasha sat cross-legged on the cement floor with his hands tucked into his sleeves as the two boys shouted at each other in rapid succession, throwing insults and accusations at each other for the fight, but Inuyasha did not care who started the fight. The fact was that a fight started in his class and he was furious.

"Enough!" Inuyasha finally said.

"This Inuryoku does not need to defend his actions."

"Excuse me," Inuyasha said through clenched teeth with a cold stare similar to his brother's that made Inuryoku regret opening his mouth. "I'm sure your father would love to hear about this, eh?"

Inuryoku swallowed and stepped back. Sesshomaru could be scary when angry and did not approve of the family name being disrespected. "I don't care who started it. The rule is no disruption of the class got it?" Hotaka and Inuryoku nodded. "I will send letters to your Sensei at the tera koya about this incident."

Both Inuryoku and Hotaka's gulped. The tera koya, or temple schools were where youkai children studied and they would most likely receive punishments.

"You wouldn't," Inuryoku stated, his eyes pleading.

"You couldn't," Hotaka added. Inuyasha had them right where he wanted them.

"Inuryoku don't think I don't know about you nonchalantly adding soap to all of the fountains at the tera koya. That took two weeks to clean up all the foam. And Hotaka don't look to smug; I happen to know about the thumbtacks you so innocently left on your sensei's stool." Inuyasha quickly noticed the look of disbelief on the two boys faces. "Don't look surprised. You should know by know that your Sensei send me quarterly reports"

Both boys stood before him speechless their jaws slack in disbelief. No one disrespected his class and he was going to make an example of them, regardless of the fact that one of them was his nephew. He never dished out favoritism to any student. With a bit of a smirk on his face Inuyasha added, "The whole class will be punished for you two misbehaving."

"You really aren't going to punish the whole class?" Inuryoku pleaded.

"Watch me," Inuyasha replied coldly, leading the two boys back inside.

"Alright everyone, when one makes a mistake, everyone makes a mistake," alluding to the two quaking boys walking to their positions. "So deep knee bends, everyone." All the students glared at Hotaka and Inuryoku but did not complain as Inuyasha led them through a series of grueling conditioning exercises through which no on complained for complaints led to more exercises.

_What did Inuryoku do now?_ Sesshomaru wondered from the dirty looks his son was getting from the other students and the look of frustration on his brother's face as he watched everyone file out of the hall. Inuryoku was a troublemaker of a child that often left both of his parents bewildered and frustrated.

"What did he do now?" Sesshomaru asked as the students were leaving.

"He and Hotaru started wresting in the middle of class and then he decided to give me lip service when I took the both of them outside."

"Just like his namesake."

"Shut Up!" Sesshomaru looked at his brother and smirked.

"I'll have _another _word with him," the elder brother commented with a sigh when he noticed the strange look on his brother's face.

"There is something bothering you, little brother, other than your namesake." Inuyasha blinked, surprised that his thoughts were so plainly written on his face and smiled, "I want you to meet someone."

Hikaru was standing outside the gate looking at the courtyard facing the dojo quizzically. Without saying a word, he quickly made his way to the child, "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Um," he stammered looking down at the ground. Inuyasha knelt before him, "I'm not gonna be mad. I just want to know what you are doing out here."

"Um, Kagome said I could play outside and gave me a ball and the ball rolled away and I went to get it and I heard noises so I came here." Inuyasha laughed, "Is that all?" Hikaru nodded as Inuyasha took him into his arms and carried him over to another strange man who looked and smelled a lot like Inuyasha.

"Hikaru," Inuyasha whispered, "this is your uncle Sesshomaru." Hikaru glared at the youkai in awe of the piercing amber eyes, the pointed ears, flowing white hair and half moon marking on his forehead dressed in an elaborate blue kimono. Inuyasha then added, "He's a full youkai."

Hikaru quickly turned his head to look at Inuyasha his eyes large. Sesshomaru smiled, "Nice to meet you Hikaru."

"Um, nice to meet you," Hikaru softly replied. Silently Inuryoku made his way to his father's side and smirked, "So who's the kid?"

"Inuryoku," Sesshomaru warned with a low growl causing both Hikaru and Inuryoku to instinctively shrink back. "You will show your new cousin respect, got it?"

Inuryoku nodded looking up as Inuyasha addressed him, "You are to look after him and set an example for him. Can I trust you to do that?"

"Yes sir!" Inuryoku saluted. Sesshomaru squeezed his shoulder approvingly and smiled, "That is a big responsibility. I expect you to uphold the family name." Inuryoku nodded then turned as he heard his name being called.

"I see you chose to adopt him," Sesshomaru quietly spoke with softness in his eyes as he gazed at Inuryoku. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the obvious loudly retorting, "I think that is self explanatory!"

"Such tactfulness, little brother," Sesshomaru retorted as Inuyasha set Hikaru on the ground, "Why don't you go back to the house and play. I'll find your ball later. And no running."

Hikaru nodded with a look of disappointment on his face. Inuyasha leaned closer and added, "Hey, don't be sad. I'll be done soon okay?"

"Okay," he quietly replied as Inuyasha led him through the gate. As the gate was shut, Sesshomaru observed, "He has not been well."

Inuyasha let out a sigh; "He came to us with many injuries and in the care of humans who did not know what they were doing. Hikaru was abused before he was found on the street in Tokyo."

"I see," Sesshomaru quietly replied.

"That's what we did this morning you idiot," Inuyasha added with emotion in his voice.

A small smile spread across Sesshomaru's lips. Since the birth of Izayoi Inuyasha had been a bit defensive of his parenting skills much to Sesshomaru's bemusement. "You do have a way with words."

"And your son has a way with tree limbs," Inuyasha quickly retorted.

"Damn kid," Sesshomaru muttered as he marched over to where Inuryoku was perched in the upper echelons of a tree his hands laden with some object eagerly looking down at the scene below. "Don't even think about _it_. Get down, now." Inuryoku gracefully leapt from the limb, landing beside his father, and tucked his hands into his sleeves.

"I wasn't thinking about anything," he announced pointing his nose in the air.

"Does he know that you have used your poison claws on blood relatives?"

"That was in the past," Sesshomaru muttered, his jaw barely moving, holding in his agitation for Inuryoku. He swiftly turned around and began to walk briskly "Inuryoku, we're going. _And_ don't even think about _it_."

"Feh," Inuryoku retorted back pulling the cloth from his head exposing his ears. As they walked silently down the cobblestone path, Inuryoku quietly asked, "What happened to him?"

"Some bad people did bad things to him," Sesshomaru explained kneeling down to his level. Inuryoku frowned, "Where are his parents then?"

"We don't know, "Sesshomaru added placing an arm on his shoulder. "But your aunt and uncle are going to be his mother and father now."

Inuryoku looked down at the ground, tracing a cobblestone with his geta. Sesshomaru sighed and kneeled before his son smiling reassuringly, "Don't worry, he's going to be okay."

The child looked at his father with skepticism for a moment before nodding as his father added, "And you are to help him like a big brother, just like you help your sister, okay?"

Inuryoku nodded. A humble smile appeared on the child's face exposing his small fangs.

OoOoOoO

Kagome sighed as she watched Hikaru slip into the house and sit down on the floor before the low table unsure of what to do next. Kagome placed a small pile of paper and box of crayons before him offering her warmest smile. He tentatively diverted his eyes to the new objects on the table looking at them questioningly.

"Do you want to color?" Kagome asked opening the box containing the crayons and drawing a tree on a sheet of paper before placing a sheet before him. Hikaru quietly took the brown and green crayons, slowly copying what Kagome had done on the paper.

"There you go," Kagome patiently coaxed him to add a simple house and some trees to that picture noticing subtle glints of joy in his eyes every so often and brief glances out the window.

"Don't worry, Inuyasha will be back soon," Kagome soothingly said as she got up to finish cooking. "Why don't you draw something nice for him."

Kagome laid a fresh sheet of paper before him, smiling as Hikaru clumsily began to work on his drawing. Watching him, she noticed that it took him a lot of effort but he showed no signs of quitting.

"That's really good," Kagome proclaimed. "Inuyasha is going to love this."

Hikaru nodded as Kagome noticed the awkward way he held the crayons in his fingers. She gently moved closer to him and repositioned his fingers over the crayons, "Here try this."

A large smile formed on the child's face as the figures formed much more easily and less clumsily. Kagome smiled at his achievement and scratched his ear laughing as it twitched under her fingers.

Inuyasha walked into the kitchen and sat down at the low table next to Hikaru, placing Hikaru's small ball on the floor which caused the small boy to yelp in excitement. Inuyasha, however exhausted from his day, rested his head face down on his arms mumbling, "They're horrible."

"Are you telling me the great Inuyasha, the hanyou who defeated Naraku, got beat by a bunch of eight year olds?" Kagome teased bringing a large bowl to the table.

"Yes," he mumbled not moving his head.

"Wow, Sesshomaru is right," she continued to taunt, "you really have gone soft."

"Have not," Inuyasha mumbled his face still in his arms, then slowly lifted his head to sniff the air smiling softly "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yep, tonkatsu," Kagome cheerfully replied referring to the breaded and deep fried pork cutlets that Inuyasha loved. It was the first dish she ever cooked that Inuyasha complemented her on and he loved it almost as much as ramen but Kagome rarely prepared it claiming it wasn't very healthy.

Anxious to show Inuyasha his work Hikaru walked over to the other side of the table and stood next to Inuyasha holding up a picture, surprised when he was taken into strong arms and seated comfortably on Inuyasha's lap.

"What is this?" Inuyasha asked, giving his full attention to Hikaru. The child pointed to a black stick figure with long hair that hung down to his feet he arm outstretched holding a brown stick. In back of the crude stick figure were a few trees.

"That's you." Hikaru explained pointing to the stick figure. "You are holding your sword."

Inuyasha looked closer at the picture, his ears swiveling slightly, "Why do I look so mean?"

"You make faces when you swing your sword," Hikaru stated turning to look at Inuyasha's face.

"I do!" Inuyasha replied with exaggeration in his voice. Kagome had placed a stack of dishes on the table and laughed, "You make the strangest faces dear, but I still love you. Now clear the table so we can eat."

"Go pack up your crayons and put them in your room along with your drawings," Inuyasha explained. "And later we can hang up your pictures, okay?"

Inuyasha smiled as Hikaru obediently did as he was told, feeling the frustration of the day melt from his shoulders. Knowing that Izayoi would be hungry at this hour Inuyasha wandered to the nursery to find her awake and sucking on her toes.

"I bet you're hungry," Inuyasha mused out loud taking her into his arms and into the dining room where Hikaru was seated an the floor before the low table his eyes immediately focusing on Izayoi as Inuyasha walked in and sat down next to him.

The infant cooed happily in his arms as Kagome placed a small bowl and spoon on the table. Smiling at Hikaru and taking the spoon in his hand Inuyasha explained, "She's hungry."

Hikaru's natural curiosity was not unnoticed by Inuyasha and Kagome who glanced at each other smiling knowingly. Kagome wiped her hands on the towel and suggested to Inuyasha, "Why don't you let Hikaru feed her?"

"Me?" Hikaru stuttered, wanting to find a safe hiding place. But the small spoon soon was pressed into his hands and Inuyasha was coaching him, "Just give her a little at a time."

Hikaru tentatively took the spoon and held it before Izayoi who stretched her arms out in anticipation. Carefully he guided the strained carrots to the baby's mouth a look of worry on his face as a mess formed around Izayoi's lips.

"She's just a little messy, that's all," Inuyasha laughed as he took the spoon and scooped the carrots back into her mouth. "She is just learning how to eat food like this."

The spoon pressed back into his hand, Hikaru nodded and offered her another spoon his ears twitching in surprise as she reached out for him. Inuyasha could not help but smile, "I think she likes you!"

"She does?" Hikaru whispered quizzically.

"Yeah," Inuyasha softly replied. "She would have cried when you offered her the spoon. Give her some more."

Carefully with Inuyasha's help Hikaru continued offering the hungry infant more and more feeling more relaxed and noticing how pleasant her scent was. There was sweetness to it, like honey. He scooted closer a smile forming across his face as Izayoi made another mess around her mouth.

"I think she's getting full," Inuyasha observed taking the spoon and scooping the orange mess back into her mouth. Hikaru frowned, "How do you know?"

"It's taking her longer to eat," Inuyasha told him. "Soon she will refuse the spoon and then it will be time for her to go to sleep."

"Oh," Hikaru replied offering another spoon to Izayoi. And just as Inuyasha had stated, Izayoi was soon refusing the spoon. Looking anxious as to what to do next Hikaru glared at Inuyasha.

"Now we put her in her crib so she can sleep," Inuyasha explained as he cradled the infant in his arms and stood up beckoning Hikaru to follow him. As he laid Izayoi in her crib he noticed Hikaru gazing at her quizzically.

"What's wrong Hikaru-chan?"

"She's just so small," Hikaru replied. Laughing Inuyasha wistfully added looking down at his daughter whose eyes were beginning to droop, "Yes she is."

"Boys!" Kagome called out. "It's time to eat!" And predictably Inuyasha came bounding into the dining room carrying a slightly bewildered Hikaru in his arms. Dinner proceeded much more smoothly as Kagome had prepared boiled sweet potato, miso soup and rice balls in addition to the tonkatsu, all of which could be eaten with small fingers unable to use chopsticks. Inuyasha and Kagome smiled to each other as Hikaru heartily ate his food.

"Do you like it?" Kagome asked. Hikaru eagerly nodded as his fingers reached for another pork cutlet. Inuyasha, on the other hand was quickly indulging in his large plate of the cutlets earning an odd glance and ear twitch from Hikaru and an exaggerated throat clearing from Kagome.

Inuyasha paused then noticed the reproachful glare from Kagome then put down his chopsticks to take a sip of tea slowing down his pace once he resumed eating. Hikaru eyed both Inuyasha and Kagome, watching the way they held their chopsticks. He thought to the first time he asked for the utensils, recalling Hitodenashi's rough reply, "Dogs eat off the floor!"

Hikaru closed his eyes and shook his head forcing himself not to think those dark thoughts. But this was not unnoticed by Inuyasha and Kagome. Kagome leaned closer to him and whispered sweetly, "What's the matter dear?"

"Nothing," was the barely audible reply from Hikaru. Kagome glanced at a worried looking Inuyasha who shrugged at a loss of words or an explanation.

"When you are ready, just tell us what is wrong, okay?" Inuyasha added, hoping that by not pressuring the boy he would talk. Hikaru just glared at Inuyasha and Kagome for a moment diverting his gaze when Inuyasha nonchalantly took a sip of his tea. As Kagome and Inuyasha resumed eating their meal, both of them noticed the quick glances from Hikaru.

Hikaru's mood did not appear to brighten as dinner ended and he wandered outside to the clearing facing the back of the house and sat on the now dry grass.

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered. "He's been waiting for you to return all afternoon."

"Really?" Inuyasha inquired looking down at her. "I thought you let him play all afternoon."

"I did. But he kept on looking towards the front doors as if he was waiting," Kagome explained observing Inuyasha as he placed the dirtied dishes on the kitchen counter, his eyes unusually emotionless. But she knew he was thinking. "You are the first person that actually looks like him, understands what it feels like to have youkai blood flowing through your body. Go to him."

Inuyasha blushed and averted his eyes to the floor, nodding in understanding. Kagome smiled and stroked his cheek, "don't worry I'll clean up here."

"Okay," Inuyasha whispered. "I'm going to check on Izayoi first."

With Izayoi cradled to his chest Inuyasha wandered outside and laid down on the grass next to Hikaru, bringing his knees up and resting Izayoi against his legs, "What are you doing?"

"Um, watching the stars," Hikaru meekly replied.

"It must feel good to be outside for a change, eh?" Inuyasha said tickling Izayoi who giggled against his legs. "It is natural for a hanyou to feel comfortable in open spaces."

A soft wind blew over the clearing carrying a few leaves and causing a rippling over the soft grass. Hikaru carefully stretched out and reclined on the grass bringing his hands beneath his head. The grass felt comfortable under him and the fragrant air was somehow relaxing, "yeah."

"Do you ever wonder what the stars are?" Inuyasha asked after a long silence. Hikaru looked at the vast expanse of stars and quietly replied, "no."

"People say that the stars are just a bunch of suns that are so far away we can barely see them but I like to think of them as the spirits, the kami, watching over us."

"The kami?"

"The spirits, our ancestors. They're all around us, watching us, guiding us. You just have to pay attention."

"Oh," Hikaru replied as he wondered about his own ancestors. Had he lived with someone like Kagome and Inuyasha before he was a ward of Kengen? There was just so much he did not know.

Hikaru sat up at the sound of a rustle amongst the trees his eyes large at the sight of a lone wolf just beyond the trees sniffing at the ground. He slowly scooted back.

"Do not fear her," Inuyasha calmly stated. "You are an inu hanyou. She will not harm you." Hikaru paused eyeing the wolf carefully before bravely standing up and stepping closer to the wolf. The wolf looked at the boy and sniffed the air a few times before disappearing into the trees.

Hikaru stayed rooted in the same spot as he gazed into the trees, the wolf long gone shaking slightly. He did not notice Inuyasha had moved next to him, Izayoi clutched in his arms, and sat down next to him not saying a word.

"That was awesome!" Hikaru proclaimed, his emotions overcoming him and for a moment he let his guard down.

Kagome quietly stepped onto the grass wondering what in the forest was so interesting that it held Inuyasha and Hikaru's attention. Smiling, she held the tray up, "Boys, I have sweets!"

Both Inuyasha and Hikaru quickly turned around grinning at the sight of the sweet almond cookies and cups of tea on the tray. It was not long before the cookies were eaten and the last drops of sweet tea were gone.

"Did you see the wolf?" Inuyasha asked Kagome. She shook her head but it was Hikaru who replied, "A wolf came here and I went up to her and she sniffed at me before running away!"

Kagome smiled a little apprehensive at what Inuyasha had let her son do but quickly realized that the boy was a hanyou not entirely human and that the animal would respect his presence. And Inuyasha, forever the faithful protector, would not allow anything to happen to him. She smiled scratching his ear earning an appreciative smile from Hikaru, "Wow, that's great!"

Hikaru yawned a few minutes later, signaling that it would soon be time for bed. Kagome stood up and said to Hikaru, "Looks like it's time for bed."

But Inuyasha had one more task to finish before the boy went to sleep and stated, "C'mon Hikaru, lets go hang up the pictures you made today!"

* * *

Hmm, I seem to write loooong chapters and I always have my characters eating something. I wonder what that says about me, tee hee! 


	12. Fall Down Seven Times Stand up Eight

Fall Down Seven Times Stand up Eight

(_…old Japanese proverb_)

"I don't want to give any more," Hikaru moaned in his sleep small beads of sweat glistening on his brow despite the darkness of the very early hour. Kagome kneeled next to his futon in the darkness brushing the errant strands of hair off his face as small droplets of sweat formed on his brown.

_Give what?_ Kagome wondered, her heart pounding with the possibility of a clue as to what had happened to him. Kagome had been awake, having tended to Izayoi, suddenly feeling the need to look upon Hikaru. He had been recovering nicely in the week he had arrived and he no longer walked with a limp.

"No Kengen," escaped from Hikaru's lips as Kagome held him in her arms trying to comfort him. She paused as she now had a name, a clue, to bring them closer to the Hikaru's history. But at the moment all she wanted to do was ease his pain. Suddenly his eyes flickered open looking up disoriented before choking out, "Kagome."

"It's all right dear," Kagome cooed hugging him close. "Kengen is not here." Hikaru scooted out of her arms and onto the futon, glaring at her fearfully.

"How do you know his name?" Hikaru spat out. "Is he here? Are you going to send me to him?"

"Hikaru," Kagome pleaded. Suddenly the boy bolted and began to run out of the small bedroom when Kagome encircled her arms around him. Still delirious from the dream and fearful at the thought of returning to Kengen Hikaru dug his claws into Kagome's arm.

Surprised by the pain Kagome let go and the child ran out of the room. Inuyasha, awakened by the commotion, ran out into the hallway to find Kagome clutching her arm blood dripping from it, a look of sadness on her face.

"What happened?" Inuyasha asked, worry knotting his face. Kagome looked at him, her voice barely audible, "Go after Hikaru. He had a nightmare."

All color drained from his face as he ran in the direction that Hikaru ran finding him outside running across the bridge over the koi pond in the moonlight. Hikaru paused on the bridge turning to face Inuyasha, panic fading from his features. Inuyasha approached Hikaru and knelt before him, "Hey, what is the matter?"

Panting slightly, Hikaru frowned and gazed at Inuyahsa. Tentatively he spoke, "Inuyasha."

"It's all right," Inuyasha calmly stated. "It was just a dream."

Hikaru nodded his breathing slowly returning to normal as Inuyasha crept closer to him and then took him into his arms, "Shh, it's okay."

Inuyasha picked up Hikaru producing a deep rumbling in his chest causing the child to relax in his arms and carried him into the house. Kagome, who had been hastily wrapping her arm in a makeshift bandage, quickly followed Inuyasha, "Is he alright?"

"Just a little spooked is all," Inuyasha replied as he set the boy on his futon.

"Oh thank goodness," Kagome replied. Hikaru sniffed a new coppery scent and noticing the bandage on Kagome arm and gasped, "I'm sorry."

"Oh don't worry about me," Kagome quickly stated. "It's just a scratch. What's important is you."

Hikaru's shoulders slumped, as he looked down at the colorful blankets on top of his futon certain he was going to be sent away or beaten for the injury he caused Kagome. He did not notice Inuyasha and Kagome exchange worried glances. Nor did he notice Inuyasha move in back of him until he felt his arms around him and that once again that gentle rumbling.

Instantly he began to feel his body relax, strangely feeling safe. These feelings had been growing in intensity during the past week telling him that he was safe, luring him outdoors and urging him to run through the forests. And once again Hikaru could feel that strange feeling, telling him Inuyasha would protect him.

"I think a nice cup of tea is what you need," Kagome offered scratching his ear and quietly standing up and leaving the room. Hikaru sat still looking down at his futon his ears drooping along with his shoulders all the while Inuyasha held him. He pulled the blankets up over the child's body and hugged him close and with a serious voice, "Hikaru, I will protect you, always."

Hikaru did not say anything, still thinking of the nightmare. He wanted so desperately to trust Inuyasha and Kagome, to listen to what his strange feelings were saying, but knew he would have to remember watch his every move to avoid facing the consequences of his actions just as he had when he was the ward of Kengen. But then he thought to all the little things he had done wrong, only to be gently corrected. In his confusion, Hikaru sighed.

It wasn't long before Kagome returned with a steaming cup of sweet tea she gingerly placed in Hikaru's hands, "Here, drink this. It will make you feel better."

Hikaru just stared dully at the cup. Kagome was about to offer more words of encouragement when Inuyasha slowly shook his head. Meeting her husband eye to eye, Kagome was not sure where he was going but he seemed to understand the storm inside Hikaru's head and trusted his instincts.

After what seemed an eternity, Hikaru took a sip of the tea, which tasted as sweet as it smelled. He took a few more sips before he yawned his eyelids drooping. Kagome took the cup and remaining tea out of Hikaru's hands and soon the child was asleep snoring softly but all Kagome and Inuyasha could only gaze down at the child in sadness. After watching Hikaru shift in his sleep Inuyasha's eyes focused on Kagome's arm

"Let's get that cleaned up," he softly said leading Kagome out of the room.

"In his dream, he said some interesting things," Kagome began as she sat on the floor of the bathroom. Sitting cross-legged across from her, Inuyasha raised an eyebrow his interest piqued as he applied a pungent smelling unguent to Kagome's arm that stung slightly causing her to wince.

Kagome passed a square of gauze to Inuyasha and watched as he covered the deep scratches. Swallowing she spoke quietly, "He said 'I don't want to give any more.'"

"Give what," Inuyasha pondered aloud. "What could a hanyou child have that he could possibly give?"

"I don't know," Kagome whispered. She watched as Inuyasha wrapped the bandage around her arm, impressed with how well his first aid skills have improved. It was wound around her arm perfectly, not too tight nor too loose but there were more pressing matters than how well a bandage is tied. Meeting Inuyasha eye to eye she spoke, "He also said a name…_Kengen_."

"Kengen," Inuyasha hissed. "Who the hell is that?"

"I don't know," Kagome mused. Inuyasha, however, could not help but feel the excitement of a clue. With his voice barely above a whisper, Inuyasha spoke, "We'll figure this out."

Kagome nodded in agreement but could not help but notice that something appeared to be bothering Inuyasha as he stood up and opened a window, stealing a glance outside.

"Inuyasha," Kagome queried.

"I'm afraid," Inuyasha, uncharacteristically confessed, catching Kagome's immediate attention. "I have a whole day of teaching but I can't help to worry..."

"Inuyasha, you can ask Souta to cover for you today. Right now Hikaru comes first. I'm sure your students would understand." Inuyasha nodded his eyes looking lost in thought for a moment before a small smile spread across his lips, as he looked out the window at the clear starlit sky with barely a cloud visible. He could not smell any excess water in the air, musing that the coming day would be pleasant.

"Perhaps it is time to take Hikaru to the shrine," Inuyasha mused.

"That would be wonderful," Kagome proclaimed yawning. "He hasn't had a chance to stretch his legs yet and the fresh air will do him some good." Inuyasha nodded in agreement gazing at Kagome, always the optimist. But Inuyasha knew she was tired.

"You should get some rest," Inuyasha offered as Kagome yawned once more. Kagome could only nod in agreement as Inuyasha wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her to their bedroom.

It was not too hot but warm enough for a day outdoors with the sun shining brightly as if the kami had granted them this day. Inuyasha smiled as he carried Izayoi outside, the infant making happy cooing sounds in his arms.

"What are you smiling at," Inuyasha cooed at his daughter as she gripped one of his fingers. "Are you smiling at me? Are you?" Izayoi laughed bringing a smile to Inuyasha's face. His smile was not long lived as he soon noticed a change in the wind that carried a new familiar scent in the air and Inuyasha turned around, redness tingeing his cheeks.

"That was most interesting," Sesshomaru smirked, appearing to hold in his laughter. Frowning Inuyasha curtly replied, "What do you want?"

"Relax," Sesshomaru coolly replied. "Mayumi wanted to invite you and Kagome and the children for dinner." Inuyasha clutched Izayoi close to his chest, looked down at his feet, "I don't know if Hikaru is ready yet."

Sesshomaru eyed his brother, noticing how tense he looked as if he was conflicted. Quietly he spoke, "What troubles you?"

"Hikaru," Inuyasha softly replied looking down at Izayoi who gazed upon her father. "He has not been well. I fear it may be too soon."

"Perhaps that is what he needs," Sesshomaru mused. "To be officially introduced to the family."

"Perhaps," Inuyasha replied pausing in deep thought. Perhaps his brother was right. An official debut into the family might be what the boy needed as a way of helping him feel more welcome and wanted. Looking at his brother, Inuyasha smiled "we'll be there."

"Very well," Sesshomaru curtly replied before disappearing into the trees. Adjusting Izayoi in his arms and carried her to the kitchen where Kagome was scurrying around the kitchen humming to herself as Hikaru sat on a stool next to the table in the middle of the kitchen watching Kagome pack rice into molds to create rice balls of various shapes and carefully arrange them into a lacquered three tier lunch box.

Hikaru was gazing at the embroidery on the collar of Kagome's casual white cotton kimono and the fine weave of her lightweight green hakama skirt and the elegant hairpins in her upswept hair. Everything in this house had elegance to it down to the engraved comb Kagome used to comb his hair and the little bottle that held the sweet scented oil she used to anoint his hair.

Even Inuyasha chose to adorn himself in exquisite silks making him appear even more enchanting. But it was the strange red garments that he wore today that had him fascinated the most. They were obviously of an old style but constructed of a fine fabric. Inuyasha stepped over to table and called out, "Oi, you ready to go yet?"

"Oh," Kagome gasped looking down at her work. "Oh yes! I'm just finishing up," she quickly said placing the last roll in the bento box and placing assembling all the tiers of the lunch box together wrapping it in a colorful handkerchief. Watching her work, Inuyasha tentatively added, "We are going to Sesshomaru's tonight."

"Tonight?" Kagome replied, concern written on her face.

"Sesshomaru thought it would help," Inuyasha mused, looking in Hikaru's direction. Kagome was quiet for a moment then nodded, "He may be right." She then placed the assembly in her backpack and ran from the kitchen, "Let me grab my socks first!"

Moments later Kagome ran back into the kitchen hopping on one foot while attempting to put a tabi sock on her other foot. Once the split toe sock was on, she stood up tall and smiled, "Now I'm ready!"

"Finally," Inuyasha smirked, still cradling Izayoi in his arms. Hikaru could not help but smile at that comment for a brief second. Kagome walked over to Inuyasha and helped him place Izayoi in her carrier and slipped the carrier on his back. The foursome left the house to be greeted by Souta in front of the large dojo.

"Don't worry about a thing Inuyasha," Souta said with a large grin on his face. "I'll make sure everything runs smoothly!"

He then kneeled down to his godson and smiled, "Are you going to have fun today?" Hikaru numbly nodded taking a half step back apprehension and uncertainty slowly creeping back into his mind. Souta looked up at Inuyasha and Kagome understanding the situation. He smiled and patted Hikaru on the shoulder before standing up.

"We are going to my brother's house tonight," Inuyasha explained. "You are welcome to come."

"Tonight," Souta mused resting his hand on the back of his head. "Yeah, I can make it."

"Hi Souta," three young women chirped as they walked towards the dojo. Souta smiled and replied, "Good morning ladies." Inuyasha and Kagome merely glared at Souta then at each other.

"Don't worry," Kagome reassured resting a hand on his shoulder as they began to leave the shrine. "I'm sure Souta will do a good job today."

"If he can keep his eyes off the ladies," Inuyasha mumbled. Kagome laughed at Inuyasha then smiled watching as the three young women encircled her brother, "I think its more a case of keeping the ladies off Souta."

"Feh," Inuyasha mumbled but could not help to smile as they made their way down the steps to the tree lined cobblestone street. Hikaru was in awe as he took in the scenery. He had rarely been outside before and never anyplace quite as unique as the village of Rinjihoshi. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Kagome smiling down at him prodding him forward, "don't worry, there's more to see."

Quietly they walked through the center of Rinjihoshi Hikaru's curiosity piquing him. There were stands heavily laden with fruit and vegetables along the narrow alleys of traditional wooden buildings, shops that sold colorful kimono, exquisite silks, fine fabrics herbs, pottery, and a variety of other goods. And the crowd was clad in vibrant robes of impressive colors.

Hikaru paused in awe of the sights, sounds, and scents before him. Tokyo had been a monolith of bright lights and loud sounds and strange scents whose inhabitants always seemed to be in a hurry. Here, there was serenity, calmness and beauty to life. He sniffed, inhaling the variety of scents attempting to identify them.

"Hikaru," Kagome gently called. He turned to gaze at her and saw her at a fruit stand smiling, "What kind of fruit do you want?" He just stood there unsure of what to say and shrugged. Kagome turned to the vendor and placed her order before calling out to Hikaru once again, "C'mon Hikaru lets go."

He quickly ran after Inuyasha and Kagome as they slowly made their way out of the center of town. Two boys stopped before them with long flowing hair rushing to straighten their disheveled kimono and hakama pants and bowed deeply, "Good morning sensei."

Hikaru hid behind Inuyasha's leg peering at the boys tentatively as Inuyasha and Kagome politely bowed back. Inuyasha felt Hikaru's arms wrap around his leg as the two boys scampered off and twisted around to look down at Hikaru scratching his son's ears gently, "It's okay. C'mon let's get going."

Inuyasha smiled as Hikaru let go of his leg and followed them out of the center of the town and down a simple walkway, the dense forest visible on each side. Soon they found themselves facing a steep hill lined with numerous steps. A red gate graced the steps halfway up the hill and at the top of the hill was a beautiful Shinto shrine.

This was the same shrine that Kagome and Inuyasha had been looking for when they took a wrong turn and got a flat tire, soon finding themselves in a beautiful village occupied with inu youkai. And it was Kagome who delicately laced her fingers in Inuyasha's and looked up into his eyes, her own reflecting all sorts of possibilities. And it was Inuyasha who did not pull back. It was here on these very steps where Inuyasha had kissed her, for the second time.

"That's a lot of steps," Hikaru finally said after staring at the hill for a long time.

"That sure is a lot," Inuyasha whispered as he knelt next to Hikaru, "but it won't take long to climb."

"Are you sure? It's a lot of steps," Hikaru pointed out. Inuyasha smiled at Kagome, pleased that Hikaru was finally speaking his thoughts. She smiled back and nodded, thinking the same thoughts.

"Don't worry, Hikaru," Kagome added. "We've done it before. We'll even count the steps!"

"Okay," Hikaru replied with childlike glee as he followed Inuyasha and Kagome up the stone steps. "One, two, three…"

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other and smiled. They followed Hikaru up the steps and paused when he did before the red gate that stood before every Shinto shrine. "What's that?"

"That's a torii," Kagome quietly explained. "Once we pass through we are on sacred ground." Hikaru nodded and whispered "okay."

Hikaru continued his counting albeit quieter but paused five steps from the top looking confused.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked. Hikaru turned to look at Inuyasha his eyebrows knotted in confusion, "I forgot what number I was on."

"Don't worry," Inuyasha whispered kneeling next to him. "You're on step number twenty seven."

"Okay!" Hikaru responded with a bit more glee and quickly bounded up the steps, "twenty eight, twenty nine, thirty, thirty one, and thirty two." The boy turned around to see Inuyasha and Kagome laughing at him.

"See, that wasn't too bad," Kagome praised kneeling next to Hikaru. "Have you ever been to a shrine before?" Hikaru slowly shook his head, noticing that the air felt lighter here.

"First you wash your hands then rinse your mouth with some water to make yourself all clean for the kami."

"The kami?" Hikaru asked with wide eyes, remembering what Inuyasha had told him the other night as they gazed up at the stars.

"Okay," the child said as he watched Kagome scoop out a cup of water out of a large stone basin with a bamboo ladle and hold it in front of him. Hikaru held out his hands and rubbed them together under the cold water, giggling slightly. He turned to watch Inuyasha take a bamboo ladle and pour the cold water over his hands then replace it in the water. Inuyasha then rubbed his hands together and then take the ladle again and sip some of the water.

"Hikaru," Kagome whispered placing a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find her holding the ladle out for him. He took it in his hands and took a sip.

"Now you bow twice," Kagome explained bowing with him. She then took the thick rope dangling from the large bell and placed it in Hikaru's hands, "Now it is time to wake the kami. Ring the bell."

The rope was too thick to wrap both of his fingers around so Hikaru wrapped his arms around the rope and pulled on it causing the bell to ring loudly. He stepped back and laughed at the noise. Kagome smiled and clapped twice, which Inuyasha and Hikaru followed suit. She then led them outside, "Okay now we say a prayer."

"Prayer?" Hikaru questioned.

"When you say a prayer, you are talking to the kami. You can ask the kami anything you want."

Hikaru nodded and stepped forward closed his eyes, bowing his head in deep concentration, in his mind saying what he wanted to tell the spirits. When he finished he turned around and saw Inuyasha and Kagome smiling down at him.

"All done?" Kagome asked. Hikaru nodded, expecting to be asked about what he told the kami but was surprised by their smiles. He paused as he sensed a new scent and turned to look in the direction it came from, frowning at an old man in priests robes.

"And who is this handsome young man?" The old man asked. Smiling Kagome replied, "Abe-sama, this is Hikaru, our new son we adopted." The priest could not help but smile, recalling when he first met the pair; they were late due to a flat tire. Kagome was the warm and outgoing one while Inuyasha was quiet but had a fighting spirit. But they were amongst the kindest beings he had ever met.

"I think a blessing is in order," the priest kindly said bowing to Hikaru who tentatively repeated the movement. Kagome eagerly agreed directing Hikaru to follow the priest to the interior of the shrine, the beautiful wood structure smelling faintly of incense. Hikaru watched wide eyed as the priest produced a wooden wand with paper tassels hanging from it and waved it in the air over them. Uncertain, he looked over at Inuyasha who nodded that everything was fine before facing the priest again.

The group was then led to the alter area where the priest read a few prayers. Kneeling down to Hikaru's level, the priest spoke gently, "may good fortune fall on you Hikaru and may the kami always be on your side."

Hikaru finally smiled at the priest, relaxing considerably. He could feel that strange sensation within him yet it was much stronger. It was as if someone or something was caressing his cheek, calling out to him. He looked outside up at the sky and he understood what that meant as he grinned at the clouds.

Inuyasha found a nice clearing that overlooked a large pond once they left the shrine. Kagome laid a blanket on the grass under the shade of tall tree and set her bag on it. It was a warm day and Hikaru wiped his brow with his sleeve and walked over to the lake. Inuyasha watched as he knelt down to sniff the water carefully before dipping his hand into the cool water and sipping it.

Inuyasha smiled, a feeling of pride in his chest as he watched Hikaru learn to use his nose and to trust his instincts. A small breeze blew through the clearing making the infant on his back squeal in joy.

"Are you hot Hikaru?" Kagome asked removing her geta and socks. He turned around and nodded, a small smile on his lips. She looked at Inuyasha and simply said, "Why don't you teach him how to swim?"

"That's not a bad idea," Inuyasha agreed wiping the sweat off his brow. Removing Izayoi from the carrier on his back, he quickly shed his clothing and waded into the lake pausing to turn around and calling out to Hikaru, "C'mon! It'll be fine. I'll protect you!"

Kagome smiled at that comment for Inuyasha was always one to do the protecting, even if he was sometimes too embarrassed to admit it. Helping Hikaru out of his clothing she offered words of encouragement, "Don't worry, Inuyasha won't let anything happen to you."

Hikaru followed Inuyasha into the stream, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He smiled as the water felt cool against his body and the sand squished softly beneath his toes. He watched as Inuyasha waded towards the center of the water where it got deeper.

"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you." Inuyasha floated in the center of the stream treading water, nodding at Hikaru. The child felt something strange arise in him and pushed off the sandy bottom with his feet and glided along the water's surface. As he slowed, he felt some instinct within him was guiding him and he began to frog kick and extend his arms over his head and push downwards against the water.

Hikaru's heart was beating wildly not out of fear but of joy. The cool water glided easily over his skin and the movement of his body felt natural.

"Good job," Inuyasha whispered as he wrapped an arm around Hikaru and brought him to the center of the stream. "I knew you could do it."

"Really," Hikaru replied wide-eyed.

"Really," Inuyasha firmly stated. Hikaru nodded, his heart once again beating wildly but there was a large smile on his face. "Do you want to see what's under the water?"

"I do," Hikaru croaked. He wanted to, but a part of him still held fear. Yet Inuyasha had not let any harm come to him yet. "Okay pinch your nose and hold your breath. The child obliged and closed his eyes. Inuyasha took him under the water for a few seconds before resurfacing. "How was that?"

"Okay," Hikaru replied wiping the water from his eyes. Inuyasha smiled gripping the child firmly, "We're going down a little longer okay?"

Hikaru nodded and felt Inuyasha dive into the water. This time he opened his eyes and smiled as he looked at the fish swim around the water plants and rocks. Then all too soon, they resurfaced. Inuyasha smiled at Hikaru and quickly asked him, "Did you like that?"

The child grinned widely and smiled. He then looked down at the scenery below the surface then up at Inuyasha once again. "I want to swim on my own," Hikaru whispered.

"Okay," Inuyasha whispered back slowly letting go of the child. Hikaru felt himself slip under then as if his body knew what to do, began to rhythmically move his arms and kick his feet. Smiling, Hikaru sucked in some air and dived below the surface.

"You see that Kagome!" Inuyasha called from the water. "Instinct. It was the same way for me too." Kagome laughed at Inuyasha's excitement while diverting Izayoi from her newfound interest in her hair ornaments as Hikaru swam to the surface. Cradling Izayoi in her arms she waded into the water and sat on a rock, calling out excitedly, "Very good Hikaru! I knew you could do it!"

Smiling, Hikaru perched atop a rock and peered down below the surface of the water. Spying a fish below the surface he quickly but quietly dove below the surface his hands closing around a fish as he neared the bottom and swam to the surface grinning widely. Yet he was not expecting the fish to be so slippery and hopelessly watched as the fish squirmed out of his hands and into the water quickly swimming away.

On the rock nearby Kagome could see the disappointment on his face, "Don't worry Hikaru, you'll catch another one." Determination formed on the boy's face as he treaded water. Inuyasha swam up to him and added, "Don't ever give up. Remember if you fall down seven times you stand up eight."

Hikaru turned and looked at Inuyasha quizzically his arms and legs furiously treading water. Noticing the confusion in his eyes, Inuyasha explained, "Just do what your mother said and not give up."

Nodding, Hikaru looked into the water and spotting his target gracefully dove below the surface this time narrowly missing the fish. Determined not to let this one get away he swam after it. But this fish was clever and hid in a crevice beneath the rock. Suddenly he felt strong arms wrap around him and soon he found himself surfacing.

"Are you okay?" Hikaru nodded his ears drooping slightly looking down at the water, "He got away?" Chuckling slightly Inuyasha explained, "Yeah, they are good at getting away."

"Can I try again?" Hikaru queried. Inuyasha smiled leaning closer, "You can try but I think they are onto you. But there is so much more to see down there than just fish." Slowly Inuyasha relinquished his hold on Hikaru who suddenly had a mischievous glint in his eyes. Suddenly the child dove under the water and glided across the bottom.

Perched on her rock, Kagome smiled impressed with Hikaru's progress. Inuyasha had once spoken about how he learned to leap thru the trees. He was running through the forest when he felt the urge to jump into the very trees he ran past. Smiling she called out to Inuyasha, "Is this how you learned to swim?"

Lazily treading water Inuyasha thoughtfully watched as Hikaru surfaced clinging to a large rock looking down at the water and nodded, "Yeah, pretty much. It was a hot day and I went out to play by the large pond near my home when I decided to jump in."

Laughing slightly Inuyasha added with a wistful look on his face, "I jumped in, kimono and all. My mother was furious that I ruined my kimono."

"What did your mother do?" Kagome asked tickling Izayoi.

Inuyasha smiled fondly recalling the memory, "She made me stay inside and practice calligraphy the whole day." Kagome smiled, knowing how much Inuyasha disliked being confined indoors.

Hikaru had been watching from the rock watching Inuyasha and Kagome talk. He lazily swam over to Inuyasha's side and slowly treaded water. Inuyasha looked down at him and whispered, "Are you hungry?"

Nodding the child followed Inuyasha out of the water a large grin on his face. Inuyasha turned to him and patted him on the shoulder praising him, "You did good. You'll get better at catching fish in no time."

"You think so?" Hikaru smiled looking up at Inuyasha. Looking down at him with a serious look on his face Inuyasha added, "I do."

Soon Hikaru found himself wrapped in a warm towel dried off and dressed back in his cotton kimono and hakama pants. He shivered as a cool breeze chilled his skin. Inuyasha placed his red hitoe over his shoulders. As Hikaru examined the smooth cloth Inuyasha explained, "It is made of the fur of the fire rat. It will protect you from fire and has protected your mother on countless occasions."

Inuyasha had used that term a lot of the past few days and Hikaru wondered what "mother" actually meant as he chewed on a flavorful rice ball. Kagome had bathed him, cooked amazing meals for him, and played with him. He wondered if that was what a mother did.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked pouring a cup of tea for him. He nodded accepting the tea as he watched Inuyasha pick up a fried shrimp with a pair of chopsticks. Licking his lips he grabbed a pair from the cotton cloth they had been wrapped in and moved his hand over the tray they lay in. Carefully he maneuvered the utensils and successfully picked up a piece of fried shrimp only to have it slip and fall into the tray.

"Good, you're getting better," Inuyasha encouraged. A small smile formed on his lips as he tried again this time raising the chopsticks a bit higher before the shrimp slipped from his grasp. Grinning he snatched the shrimp with his fingers and ate it. He tried once again with one of the smaller sushi rolls, successfully carrying towards his mouth before it fell halfway there. But with his other hand, Hikaru quickly caught it and ate it.

Kagome grinned at Inuyasha as Hikaru happily eat the delicacies she prepared this morning. Inuyasha was gracefully stuffing a large rice ball into his mouth. Looking up at her he quickly swallowed and sheepishly grinned, "The rice balls came out really good. Hikaru seems to think so."

Hikaru had eaten more than he normally did was helping himself to another rice ball and grinned nodding as he took a bite. He quickly finished it and sipped at the rest of his tea. Kagome pulled his small ball out of her bag and held it in front of her, "Do you want to play?"

With his belly full, Hikaru wandered happy to feel the cool grass under his toes. He had invented a game the day before of tossing the ball high in the air and leaping after it. Soon Inuyasha joined in the game, tossing the ball so that Hikaru could catch it. And as Kagome began to pack up to head home Inuyasha commented, "I think you are ready to begin training with the sword."

"Really?" Hikaru questioned gripping his ball, his face beaming. Inuyasha leaned down and ruffled Hikaru's hair, "Yes, very shortly."

Hikaru's reverie was short lived, however, as they made their way thru the town. As he clung to Kagome's hand, Hikaru could not help but notice the unique inhabitants of this village. But as unique as they were, no one other than Inuyasha and Izayoi looked quite like him. And that left him anxious, worried that his unique features would make him vulnerable. He chewed his lip as he watched a group of children chase a ball around the open-air market.

Once they made it back to their house, both Inuyasha and Kagome noticed a change in Hikaru's demeanor as his shoulders suddenly slumped and he cast his eyes to the floor.

Once in the bath Kagome asked him why he was so glum. Hikaru merely replied, "nothing."

"Then why so quiet?" Kagome pried scratching one of his causing a bit of distress on the boy's face.

"What's wrong dear? Is it your ears?" Kagome asked with worry on her face, concerned that he may have an ear infection. "Is something wrong with them?"

"How come in the village no one else has ears like me?"

"That's because you are a jewel," Kagome explained. "You are half human and half youkai, something so beautiful it is as rare as a jewel."

"But everyone just stares at them."

"Your father, Inuyasha, has ears like yours," Kagome proudly stated. "And he is one of the most respected people in Rinjihoshi." Hikaru nodded but refused to look her in the eye, not entirely convinced of Kagome's words. And all Kagome could do was sigh, concerned for how the evening at Sesshomaru's house would turn out.


	13. A Place To Call Home

A Place To Call Home

Hikaru was quiet on the walk to Sesshomaru's house, uncertain about meeting the pure blooded youkai again. Equating Inuyasha with safety, he stuck close to him as Inuyasha chatted with Souta about the day's classes.

As they walked down the cobblestone walkway lined with a thick canopy of trees he could not help but notice once again he could not find anyone with the same pair of ears he had other than Inuyasha. He slowed his pace, wondering why he was different when his eyes focused on something most peculiar.

Two little girls, possibly sisters, were happily chasing each other on the cobblestone walkway. They were both dressed in oversized bright orange kimonos that were slightly disheveled from their games. And peeking out of their long unrestrained deep red hair were two pairs of deep red dog-like ears similar to his. The younger of the pair smiled and waved at him before she turned to follow a young human woman and her youkai companion. And all too soon, the girls disappeared from view as he was led down a narrow walkway lined with dense willow trees.

Hikaru quickened his pace as they approached the end of the walkway, excited to have seen another child like him and wondering if he would ever see those two girls again. He smiled as they approached a large house with two stories, large shoji windows, and elegant curved awnings. Surrounding the house was an elaborate garden. As they walked up the steps to the house, he silently inched closer to Inuyasha.

A young boy with amber eyes and thick snowy white hair like Inuyasha's neatly bound with a scarf around his head opened the door. Hikaru stepped back tentatively. Turning and scratching one of Hikaru's ears, Inuyasha explained, "This is your cousin Inuryoku. Don't you remember him from the day you wandered to the dojo."

Hikaru looked from Inuyasha then at Inuryoku, quietly responding, "Um, hello."

"Inuyryoku, why don't you take him inside and show him around," Inuyasha suggested to which Inuryoku grabbed Hikaru's hand and ran into the house leaving the bewildered Hikaru to follow him. Laughing Inuyasha, Kagome and Souta slipped into the house.

"Hi guys," greeted Mayumi, the hanyou maiden Sesshomaru had fallen in love with. Her dark hair was sculpted into a beautiful updo and spherical green jade earrings graced her pointed ears characteristic of the youkai blood in her. Her amber eyes lit up as she took sight of Izayoi in Kagome's arms, "She's gotten so big!"

Facing Inuyasha, she stated, "Sesshomaru is in the dining room." Taking Izayoi into his arms, Inuyasha and Souta headed over to the dining room. Mayumi and Kagome walked over to the sound of commotion coming from Inuryoku's bedroom.

Inuryoku was trying to show Hikaru his new toy but much to his dismay, Mika his little three-year-old sister wanted to demonstrate it first and grabbed for it. Growling he scolded his sister, "Mika, I was going to show him!"

"But I want to!" Mika whined. Frustrated with his sister, Inuryoku pushed her. And before Mayumi or Kagome could say anything to stop the impending argument, Mika ran up to her brother and gripping him by the front of his kimono pulled the silk cloth off his head exposing his ears.

"Your ears!" Hikaru cried out, delightedly surprised to see them.

"Hikaru," Mayumi lauged, "Inuryoku and Mika are hanyou."

"That's right!" Inuryoku pronounced proudly his hands on his hips his ears twitching on his head, "I'm three quarters youkai and one quarter human."

"Whoa!" Hikaru proclaimed. Inuryoku quizzically looked at him, wondering what all the excitement and fascination was about. After, he had the same ears. Finally Inuryoku asked, "Why are you so happy to see my ears. You have them too."

If he were capable of it, Hikaru would have shrunk to the size of a pea and ran away. Kagome and Mayumi watched as Hikaru quietly replied, "I've never really seen ears like mine before."

"Inuryoku," Mayumi calmly explained, "Hikaru has not been around other youkai or hanyou until about a week ago." Puzzled by this bit of news, Inuryoku looked down at Hikaru and mumbled, "really?"

Hikaru looked up at Inuryoku and with a serious look on his face nodded. Wrapping an arm around Hikaru's shoulder, Inuryoku proclaims, "Don't worry kid, I'll show ya the ropes!"

"Lets not get carried away dear," Mayumi smiles. The discarded toy long forgotten, Mika ran up to Hikaru and hugged him around the waist, "Yeah! Inu-chan will show you the ropes."

"Why don't you guys go outside and play," Mayumi encouraged. "Why don't you show Hikaru your tree house?"

Inuryoku grabbed Hikaru by the arm and dragged the confused boy outside followed by an eager Mika. Mayumi looked over at Kagome and commented, "He doesn't seem as tentative as Sesshomaru described him."

Looking down at the floor Kagome replied with a smile, "He has his good days and he has his bad days. But his injuries have healed and he is beginning to play more and more."

"He will heal in time," Mayumi added with a smile as they left the bedroom to enjoy some tea.

Meanwhile, Hikaru looked on in wonder as he stood in the middle of a grassy clearing facing Sesshomaru's large home looking up at the tree in wonder. Poking his head out of a window, Inuryoku shouted, "What are you waiting for! Jump up here!"

Not wanting to disappoint his new friends, Hikaru nodded. His face tense with concentration, Hikaru leapt high into the air and through the window. With his heart beating wildly Hikaru grinned broadly. He had never leapt that high before nor had he ever been in a tree before, much less a small house in a tree.

Arranged in the small tree house were several cushions and a small low table with a box of crayons and a book of drawing paper on it. In the corner of the room were several discarded toys including a large ball, a spinning top, and some small books.

"Wanna play my new game?" Inuryoku asked sitting down on a cushion before the low table and opening a small box. Sitting on the floor in a huff and crossing her arms as Inuryoku dumped the small blocks on the table Mika complained, "I don't like that game!"

"Well I don't care! We're gonna play it!" Inuryoku stated with clenched teeth. Hikaru leaned down and calmly told the three year old, "Why don't you try playing it again? You may like it."

Nodding numbly, Mika joined Hikaru at the small table as Inuryoku created a small tower with the blocks. Once he had every block stacked he instructed Hikaru, "Now all you have to do is take a piece from the tower and place it on top, got it?"

Nodding as he watched Inuryoku take a block from near the bottom of the stack and carefully placed it on the top Hikaru followed suit. Having decided he liked his cousins he smiled as he watched Mika successfully complete the task.

Sesshomaru cradled Izayoi in his arms looking down at the infant as she looked back at him. He brought a clawed finger to her chin, which she firmly circled her tiny fingers around.

"Inuryoku and Mika used to do the same thing," the powerful youkai muttered as a smile crept across his lips. Inuyasha eyed his brother and smiled. "And to answer your question, little brother, I have not heard of a youkai with a human mate who have been separated from their child or even murdered."

"Strange," Inuyasha mused as he watched Sesshomaru play with Izayoi. "There is absolutely no information about this human and youkai. It's as if this child appeared out of nowhere. But being a hanyou is not something to go unnoticed. Everyone knows who you are."

"Not so," Sesshomaru mused turning his gaze to his brother. "Human and youkai pairings even in this age are still not generally accepted in many villages so I would surmise that this child's parents may have lived in some form of seclusion."

Inuyasha glanced down at the table as he thought about how many modern day youkai lived. Many still choose to live as they have for centuries in seclusion hidden deep in the mountains and hills. There were only a handful of villages in Japan where youkai chose to live in a community, and none as open minded as Rinjihoshi.

It was a world he could not comprehend. He had spent a lifetime in seclusion not by choice and was thoroughly through with that way of life. Inuyasha had made a name for himself with Kagome at his side in this village and actually enjoyed it.

"Hikaru in his sleep this morning let out a name," Inuyasha added.

"A name?"

"That's what I said," Inuyasha grumbled then with his voice barely a whisper spoke, "Kengen."

Looking out the window with a mischievous glint in his eye, Sesshomaru offered a suggestion "Inuyasha, I suddenly feel the need to go to Tokyo."

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing," Inuyasha added with a sly grin. Souta, who had remained quiet through most of the exchange, rolled his eyes suppressing a laugh. Inuyasha, seated next to him, noticed this and confronted him, "What was that about?"

"Nothing," Souta calmly replied, shrugging innocently. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and quietly spoke, "Whatever it is you are thinking, spit it out."

Souta crossed his arms and glared across the table at Sesshomaru, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Liar," Inuyasha hissed. Souta turned his head to glare at his brother-in-law, to which Inuyasha quickly retorted, "I saw you roll your eyes. You think we can't handle Tokyo?"

"I did not mean that!" Souta huffed.

"Good," Sesshomaru replied in a low tone. "Because you're coming with us."

"What!" was Souta's high pitched reply; his voice tinged with anxiety. Inuyasha coughed smiling, "You're good with a sword. And a human is always useful in these situations."

Souta swallowed and nodded, reluctantly agreeing to this expedition to Tokyo. But he was certain Inuyasha would not let anything happen to him. But at the same time, he felt a bit excited to finally be included on an adventure.

"So when are we going to do the ceremony?" Inuyasha spoke, changing the subject. Sesshomaru smiled at his brother and added, "Perhaps we should start now."

Hikaru hid behind Inuyasha unsure about the ceremony. Inuyasha kneeled down and wrapped an arm around his waist, "Hey, it's going to be alright."

Hikaru sat on the cushion watching wide eyed as Inuyasha and Sesshomaru laid the Tetsusaiga and the Tensaiga before him, curious as to why Sesshomaru would not touch Inuyasha's sword. Everyone sat in a half circle around him and Sesshomaru kneeled in front of him.

Mayumi passed an elegant indigo colored ceramic cup to Sesshomaru who took a sip of the sweet tea and passed the cup to young Hikaru. Looking over to Inuyasha who nodded in encouragement, Hikaru took the cup and sipped the warm liquid slowly. Taking the bowl from Hikaru's hands he set it to his side and bowed slightly before him, "It is from today onward you shall fall under the protection of this family, of these swords. Today you shall leave your old life behind and take on a new identity."

Hikaru looked up at Sesshomaru and nodded. He gasped as Sesshomaru pressed his thumb against the crescent moon marking on his forehead and pressed it to Hikaru's forehead, "From this day forward you shall be known as a son of the house of Taisho."

A faint marking of a crescent moon appeared on the child's forehead before fading from view. Hikaru wrinkled his nose at the strange tingling sensation. He then looked up at everyone in the room and smiled, "Is that it?"

"Yes Hikaru, that's it," Inuyasha answered almost laughing.

"Good, now we can eat," Inuryuko muttered as everyone stood up to head to the dining room.

Mayumi had prepared a hot pot meal. Plates of raw meat and vegetables were placed on the table. A pot of seasoned water was boiling softly in the middle of the table and steam was pooling over it and the table. Everyone had taken their seats around the table, Hikaru between Inuyasha and Inuryoku.

"Mmm, shabu-shabu," Inuyasha commented rubbing his hands together as Mayumi and Kagome began to place vegetables and meat into the pot and various conversation broke out. As Mayumi passed out small bowls of steaming rice around the table she asked Inuyasha, "So when is Hikaru going to start learning the sword?"

"Pretty soon," Inuyasha said grinning widely as Hikaru nodded eagerly next to him, "perhaps even this week!" Hikaru quickly turned his head to look at Inuyasha.

"Really?" Hikaru slowly whispered to Inuyasha. Leaning down Inuyasha whispered in Hikaru's ear, "Yes, pretty soon. You're all healed up now."

Hikaru smiled, inhaling the aroma of the food before him. Seeing that the thin pieces of meat had cooked, Inuyasha used his chopsticks to places some pieces into Hikaru's plate, "Be careful it's hot."

Inhaling the succulent meat before him, Hikaru quickly picked up his chopsticks and picked up the meat and successfully brought it to his mouth enjoying the savory taste of the meat. Inuyasha had been watching him wrapped an arm around his shoulder, "You did it!"

Grinning Hikaru nodded as everyone at the table applauded. His cheeks soon grew red as he became aware that _everyone_ knew he could barely use chopsticks. Thankfully, Inuyasha came to his rescue, "C'mon guys leave him alone."

And that was it. Everyone turned to their plates and began to enjoy their meal. Inuyasha and Kagome both glanced at Hikaru who was still successfully maneuvering the chopsticks.

Mika sat between Sesshomaru and Mayumi and was making a small mess with her fingers. Kagome asked, "So how is Rin?"

"She is enjoying England immensely," Mayumi explained. "Oxford is difficult but she is doing well."

"I just hope she doesn't pick up any bad habits from elves," Sesshomaru muttered. Inuyasha snorted lightly, "Elves are good fighters, amazing with the bow and arrow, and enjoy singing and dancing and lots of ale."

"The ale part is what worries me," Sesshomaru grunted.

"Rin is a smart girl," Kagome added. "I'm sure she'll be alright. Before you found her she was essentially taking care of herself." Sesshomaru nodded quietly stating, "I still don't trust elves."

"You don't trust anything that walks," Inuyasha added causing Sesshomaru to chuckle.

Hikaru glanced over at Inuryoku, who had a sly look on his face. Glaring at his son, Sesshomaru calmly spoke, "Inuryoku, what are you thinking about?"

Inuryoku uncharacteristically swallowed diverting his eyes from his fathers for the moment. He thought for a moment looking from his mother to his father and finally spoke, "can you tell me the story of how you and papa _really_ met?"

* * *

I've gotten some really nice reviews. Thank you to everyone that reviewed. The little girl at the beginning of the story will be seen once again (hint hint). 


	14. Return To The Village Where We Met

Return To The Village Where We Met

A Sesshomaru & Mayumi Love Story

Inuryoku uncharacteristically swallowed diverting his eyes from his fathers for the moment. He thought for a moment looking from his mother to his father and finally spoke, "can you tell me the story of how you and papa _really_ met?"

"And what brings this question up?" Sesshomaru asked bemused.

"Rin was telling me about the day you met mom," Inuryoku innocently spoke. Sesshomaru glared at his son, suspicious that he was ever innocent, "Is that so."

Smiling coyly, Mayume recalled the events that led to her meeting Sesshomaru. Taking a sip of her tea and calmly began, "When I met Sesshomaru I lived with my father, just the two of us. My father was a youkai and my mother human. Because my mother was human we were shunned by other youkai and because my father was youkai, and humans shunned us so we lived in solitude. But we lived a simple but happy life."

"One day while picking berries I had noticed this _beautiful_ youkai man traveling with a young girl in the valley near my home. I had never seen such exquisite kimono before. What was most extraordinary was that he was traveling with a _human_ child for humans and youkai despised each other." Sesshomaru grunted at her description of him but said nothing.

"You mean Rin," Inuryoku proclaimed.

"Yes Rin," Sesshomaru smiled. Mayumi began again, "I did not see him for a week but I was intrigued. I thought about him every day. Then one day while I was gathering herbs in the forest I saw him by the lake watching as the human girl caught some fish. I was intrigued by this strange youkai who looked over a human. He turned to look at me standing there watching him. But I was so terrified of him I dropped my basket and I ran home."

"To my surprise, I found my basket of herbs by the front door of my house the next morning. I went outside to look for him but I could not find him and I soon became distraught. As I prepared lunch that afternoon, my own father even asked me what was bothering me and I told him what happened. He seemed to recognize this youkai but to my disappointment he told me never to associate with him."

"I asked him why?" Mayumi continued after pausing for a moment. "And he told me that he was a youkai lord and they despised our kind. We had not known of Inu no Taisho's compassion or of Inuyasha and of his heritage."

"To my surprise I saw _him_ the next day as I was at the lake collecting water. I paused to admire him from a distance. But then he looked straight at me! I grabbed my bucket of water and got out of there as quickly as I could!"

"As the days passed I began to see him more often and I began to not fear him. I soon came to look forward to seeing him and hoped one day to find the courage to speak to him. But I began to hope that maybe this youkai would not despise me for who I was. That perhaps I would not live my life alone…"

Kagome felt her own heartstrings tug, recalling as a teenager on the journey to restore the Shikon no Tama how she hoped Inuyasha would turn to her one day and whisper his love to her. But also laced in Mayumi's words were Inuyasha's own insecurities, the fate of a hanyou. She asked, "So did you ever say a word to him?"

Mayumi laughed and shook her head, her silver hair ornaments glinting in the candlelight whispering softly, "No, I never did."

"Then what happened?" Inuryoku interrupted. Mayumi smiled at her son and began again, "Around this time something terrible happened to my family. My father had fallen ill. He had been poisoned but he would not tell me by whom but I feared he was poisoned because of me. I soon forgot about _him_."

"One day while mending some clothing outside my home, he unexpectedly came tumbling down the hill and landed at my feet with a strange gash above his left eye."

"Sesshomaru got injured?" Kagome asked, looking quizzically at the two brothers. Sesshomaru was strong and near impossible to defeat. There was clearly more to this story.

"Would you like more sake?" Inuyasha offered his brother disguising the anxiety in his voice.

"Fill it up," Sesshomaru grunted looking down at the table.

"Funny thing," Mayumi stated, "is that your father claimed to be attacked by a strange animal, but only one claw mark was on his forehead." Sesshomaru and Inuyasha both sipped at their sake cups, downing the warm liquid.

"It was a very serious injury," Sesshomaru stated as Inuyasha refilled both their cups again as Inuyasha added, "Extremely."

"Yeah, Rin told me all about it," Inuryoku exclaimed.

"And when was this?" Sesshomaru inquired.

"Last week on the telephone," he innocently stated. "She said that Inuyasha grabbed you, ran a claw across your forehead and threw you down the hill and into her lap."

"What!"

"And it took _hours_ for mom to clean the cut," he proudly said. "She said she was soooo bored waiting for you."

"Hey!" Inuyasha grumbled. "I was keeping an eye on the runt!" Sesshomaru glared at Inuyasha who suddenly became quiet and diverted his eyes to the tabletop.

"Wait a minute, Inuyasha was there?" Kagome queried. Clearing his throat, Inuyasha grunted, "I was taking care of the animal."

"How romantic!" Kagome exclaimed bringing her hands together in front of her chest, eyeing Inuyasha suspiciously.

"And that she spent all afternoon tending to your wound," Inuryoku gleefully added.

"Really," Sesshomaru stated filling Inuyasha and his cups. Both brothers made themselves occupied with sipping the sake.

"Inuyasha," Kagome inquired, "did that really happen?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Inuyasha mumbled his lips behind a ceramic cup as Kagome gazed at him fiercely. But as Inuyasha refused to break down Mayumi continued.

"I was stunned to see him on the ground before me. I forgot all my fear and ran to his side and I finally spoke to him."

"My lord, are you okay," quickly rolled off Mayumi's tongue. "He nodded as he sat up and just watched as I cleaned the cut. Finally he spoke, asking me my name.

"The sun was beginning to set when he left and as he was walking away I asked if I would see him again. He turned and asked, 'Do you want me to come back?' I nodded and he smiled, 'What does your heart tell you.'"

"I looked at him and could barely speak but I said, 'My heart tells me you will come back." He smiled and turned around and walked away." Kagome smiled looking at Sesshomaru thoughtfully, surprised at how romantic he had been.

"I did not see him for a while but I thought of him everyday. I soon lost hope in seeing Sesshomaru again and I forced myself not to think of him again. But fate was about to play a cruel trick on me. My father's illness grew worse and it was becoming clear that he would not recover so he had arranged for a match with the son of a strong inu youkai for me. Hopeful, my father and I journeyed to meet him although a small part of me was hoping to see Sesshomaru once again. But the inu youkai did not know I was hanyou and immediately rejected me. As we journeyed home, I had never seen my father look so broken."

"Broken hearted, I went outside and sat beneath the shade of a tall tree and began cry. I was so upset I did not notice Sesshomaru approach me nor did I notice as he gently lifted my chin and asked, 'What happened?'"

"I began to sob and he took me into his arms telling me everything would be okay. Finally I stopped crying and told him what happened. Sesshomaru called him a fool for rejecting someone like me."

"But I looked at him and said, 'I know my place in the world. I am just a hanyou.' Sesshomaru shook his head and told me, 'Yes you are a hanyou, but you are also a hime, a princess.' I nodded as he held me. As the sun began to set he finally left."

Mayumi's eyes lit up as she continued the story, recalling the memory, "The next day, Sesshomaru came to visit me, bringing meat for me and herbs for my father. With him was a hanyou whom I quickly realized was his brother. He was asking to speak to my father so I led him to the room where my father was resting on his futon. My father recognized him and sat up and told me to leave the room. I left Sesshomaru and Inuyasha with my father and walked outside where I waited…"

Sesshomaru looked over at Mayumi for a second before continuing the story, "Inuyasha and I sat down on the floor next to the futon and I told him I was here to talk about Mayumi and he warned me to stay away from her. I asked him to explain himself and he told us that he did not trust anyone for he had yet to find anyone who would not despise Mayumi for her heritage.

Pausing to glance at Inuyasha, Sesshomaru continued, "He then looked over at Inuyasha and said 'I smell the scent of a human a human on you but you wear the uniform of the dojo next to the village.'"

Inuyasha smiled and shrugged, "I did not know what to say but I told him that there were humans and youkai that would understand each other and that Sensei Ryuu had given me a chance at the dojo and that he should give Sesshomaru a chance."

"He looked over at me," Sesshomaru stated continuing the story, "And I said to him that I would adhere to his wishes. If he didn't want me to court his daughter I would leave but if he allowed me to court her I would follow his every request and bowed low to the floor. My heart was beating so loudly and quickly I was sure he heard it. Finally he spoke and said, I will let you court my daughter young lord. But you must follow everything I say exactly or the arrangement is off."

"I sat up from my bow and looked at him and nodded. I thanked him and walked outside where I spoke to Mayumi and that is the story of how we met.

"Wow, what an amazing story," Kagome cooed as she clasped her hands in front of her. Little Mika had grown bored and was playing with her vegetables on her plate and both Hikaru and Inuryoku had eaten their fill. Smiling wistfully, Mayumi added, "It sure is."

"How did Inuyasha and Kagome meet?" Inuryoku blurted out. Smiling, Sesshomaru explained, "We don't have enough time for that complicated story."

"But I want to hear it," Inuryoku whined as Kagome and Mayumi stood up from the table. Sesshomaru replied with sarcasm in his voice, "Trust me, it would take a week to tell that story."

Kagome placed a plate of rice cakes on the table and smiled sheepishly at Inuyasha who returned the same sheepish smile. Both had recalled their initial shyness, incorrect assumptions, and countless arguments. But it was clear that as the children ate their sweets, there was tiredness in their eyes. They had been spared telling their story, for now.

* * *

"Inuyasha," Kagome inquired as she sat down on the futon next to Inuyasha later that evening, "What did really happen, the day Sesshomaru fell down the hillside?" 

"I don't know what you're talking about," Inuyasha mumbled looking down at the blankets as Kagome gazed at him fiercely. Finally after much deliberation he whispered, "It was when I was training with Sensei Ryuu and Sesshomaru and I began to talk. I was not used to him being friendly and was puzzled by his behavior and wondered what triggered the change. Then one day while I was hunting I spotted him gazing at Mayumi and Mayumi sneaking glances at him."

Inuyasha paused, as if he wasn't sure what to say next then smiled nervously, "I-I don't know what came over me at that moment but I rushed to Sesshomaru ran a claw across his forehead and said 'You'll thank me for this' and threw him down the hill."

Kagome crawled closer to him and placed a hand on his cheek, her eyes beaming at him, "How romantic."

"It is?" Inuyasha stammered. Kissing him on the cheek Kagome replied, "It is."

"I didn't find it romantic," Inuyasha muttered as Kagome gently pushed him down on the futon. "I was left to watch Rin for several hours and she's quite the chatterbox and…and…and you're not listening."

"No, I'm not." Straddling him, Kagome leaned down and began to kiss him gently, passionately. Stroking her cheek Inuyasha smiled as he slipped her silk sleeping kimono off her body…


	15. Dogs In Tokyo

Dogs In Tokyo

Koukastu quickly walked down the deserted sidewalk breathing quickly from the exertion having stuffed his hands into his pockets, thinking of the task he was about to do. Hitodenashi had been unable to procure payment for services he provided to the owner of a gentlemen's club in exchange for what he termed protection. And he, much rather preferring to delegate such tasks, would have to complete the task.

He narrowed his eyes as he passed a homeless man sitting in the covered entrance to a skyscraper; focusing his vision on the strangest pair of creatures he had ever laid his eyes on. Before him was a young man with shimmering white hair restrained with a silk cloth. His eyes were a brilliant shade of yellow, or orange, or were it amber he could not tell. Behind him was another creature, a bit taller, with the same colored eyes yet his hair was even longer.

The creature eyed him with a cold stare and growled lowly, exposing a long sharp tooth that shone in the streetlamps. A cold shiver ran down his back and through his body as a cold sweat broke across his skin. And he felt something he had not in a while…_fear_.

Koukastu quickened his pace as he continued down the street, his heart beating quickly and huffing slightly. Having gained enough distance, he paused and glanced behind him surprised that the strange creatures were gone. He stood staring down the deserted sidewalk his breathing becoming more even and the fear fading from his body wondering if what he saw was a vision.

A chilling breeze carried dead leaves onto the street and tossing his hair in the wind chilling him to the bone despite the sweltering hot evening as he pondered why the strange creatures appeared so familiar. And then he thought of the child he had not seen since Kengen's death, Hikaru.

He pondered if that was the type of creature Hikaru would have grown into. Both of them were beautiful, almost ethereal. But at the same time, they exuded power and Koukastu could sense they were dangerous creatures.

Shakily he retrieved a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket and nervously guided one to his mouth. Slowly his lit his cigarette with the chrome lighter and sucked on it, slowly forcing himself to regain his composure and force the image of the two creatures out of his mind.

"What was that growl for?" Sesshomaru asked as they descended upon the crowds at the large shrine that graced Asakusa in modern Tokyo.

"He was glaring at us," Inuyasha shrugged as they pushed their way through the crowds. "And he reeked of cigarettes. Had to teach him a lesson." Sesshomaru smiled at his brother's reply as they slipped down a side street to the teahouses that were hidden so discreetly. Reclining against the wall of an elegant old structure was Souta clad in dark clothing his long hair tumbling down his shoulders and his motorcycle helmet dangling from his fingers. Slung over his shoulder in a long thin bag was concealed his razor sharp katana.

With barely an acknowledgement, Souta followed Inuyasha and Sesshomaru into the teahouse inhaling the fresh tatami and fragrant incense. And soon the trio found themselves in a private room.

"What are we doing here?" Souta whispered as he sat next to Inuyasha before the low table as he watched the faint trace of smoke float from the burning incense stick in the ceramic bowl on a low table in the corner of the room. Sesshomaru did not blink nor look at Souta as he sat across from Inuyasha and Souta and responded, "To get answers."

Souta was quiet as a handsome youkai with dark brown hair neatly restrained in a ponytail at the back of his head, pointed ears and green eyes. While simple, his gray kimono and deep blue hakama were constructed of exquisite silk. If one did not know of what features to look for, this man would be mistaken for a human, possibly a foreigner.

"Sorry I'm a bit late guys," this strange man explained sitting on the cushion next to Sesshomaru. "Whose the human?"

"That human," Inuyasha loudly stated, "is my brother-in-law, Souta." Fuming at being disregarded so easily, Souta retorted, "Whose the kitsune?"

"That's Katsuro," Inuyasha explained referring to the fox youkai. Souta and Katsuro nodded to each other curtly and glared at each other before the delicate shoji door slid open and a beautiful young woman with her face painted white, her lips stained red and her carefully sculpted hair adorned in ornamental combs. With her elegant pale blue kimono trailing behind her she padded into the room on small graceful steps carrying a tray with a ceramic sake bottle along with a large bottle of ale and various cups and glasses.

Behind her was an older woman in a more subdued kimono carrying a three stringed guitar like instrument and a young woman that appeared to be an adolescent with floral adornments in her waxed hair and a vibrant green trailing kimono that appeared too large for her frame. Her face was also painted white but only her bottom lip was painted red.

Souta's jaw dropped as he laid eyes on the three geisha before him. He had never seen one before and never imagined them to be so beautiful and elegant.

The young woman set the tray on the table and kneeled before it pouring cups of sake for Sesshomaru and Katsuro and glasses of beer for Inuyasha and Souta, "It's been a while since you have seen us."

"Don't worry, we haven't forgotten you," Inuyasha stated as the adolescent sat between him and Souta, who blushed slightly. The older woman sat at the other end of the table.

Souta took a sip of his drink and learned that the young woman was called Fukuyoshi, the older woman Mamechiho, and the adolescent next to him Fukunao. And he was surprised to learn that Fukunao was a hangyoku, an apprentice and younger "sister" to Fukuyoshi. Fukunao took tentative glances at Sesshomaru, and Katsuro, and at Inuyasha's ears.

Inuyasha had also noticed that the young adolescent next to him was eyeing him, particularly his ears. Managing to not laugh he turned to face her and said, "You can touch them if you want, my wife won't mind too much."

Giggles from the other geisha and guests erupted in the room as Inuyasha tilted his head towards her. Fukunao slowly reached for his ear, amazed at the softness of the fur, and giggling as it twitched under her fingers. She physically relaxed taking her fingers away from Inuyasha's ear. Souta smiled and whispered to her, "His bark is worse than his bite."

"I heard that runt!" Inuyasha threatened across the table, but was remarkably not heard by Souta who was completely enraptured by the women, particularly the adolescent next to him.

"Have you ever met a youkai before?" Souta asked. Slowly, tentatively she shook her head as if she was still musing the idea of such a creature existing. Smiling Souta explained, "Most youkai are noble and honorable."

Fukunao nodded her curiosity getting the better of her and asked Souta, "How do you know Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Katsuro?"

"Inuyasha is married to my sister Kagome," Souta explained. "And I work for Inuyasha at their dojo."

"Dojo?" Fukunao asked, curiosity evident in her eyes. Smiling Souta further explained, "Inuyasha and Kagome run a school teaching sword fighting."

"That is a good profession," Fukunao mused.

"Uh, how long have you been a hangyoku?" Souta managed to choke out to Fukunao.

"About two months," she answered pouring more beer into a small glass for him, "Is this your first time to a teahouse?" Souta nodded, wondering if he looked nervous. Fukunao grabbed him by the arm and smiled, "I was so nervous at my first party. I tripped over the hem of my kimono and spilled sake all over the floor and I missed a major step in my dance."

"I guess it all worked out in the end," Souta shrugged. The young apprentice geisha looked at him quizzically, "what makes you say that?"

"You're still here," Souta explained. "And you don't look nervous."

Fukunao smiled politely, "thank you."

"I think it's time for a game!" Fukuyoshi announced across the table. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru glared at Souta then at each other, nodding mischievously. Fukunao was grabbing his arm prodding him on, "It'll be fun!"

Souta smiled and followed Fukuano where she gracefully kneeled on the floor before a small low table, her vibrant green silk kimono pooling around her. Souta followed suit and sat on the soft cushion across from her. On the table was a small lacquered bowl placed face down.

As Fukunao explained the rules of the game, Souta could see Inuyasha and Sesshomaru exchange discreet hand gestures from the corner of his eye. The older geisha Mamechiho began to sing a catchy tune and the game began. Souta and Fukunao took turns tapping the bowl with the tips of their fingers. Suddenly Fukunao lifted the bowl off the table and Souta touched the top of the table with his fingertips.

"Oops!" Fukunao gleefully announced as the room erupted in laughter. Souta, however, sat in front of the table confused.

"You were supposed to make a fist when Fukunao lifted the bowl," Sesshomaru explained. Laughing Inuyasha added, "Kagome is really good at that game. She's outlasted both Fukuyoshi and Mamechiho."

"Hold up your glass," Fukunao instructed.

"Why?" Souta asked as he watched her fill a small glass with beer.

"You lost so you must take a drink!" Fukunao cheerfully explained. Shrugging, Souta smiled and drank the entire contents of the glass. Placing the glass on the tray next to the table, Souta looked at Fukunao and smiled, "lets play."

Mamechiho sang the cheerful song once more and Souta and Fukunao took turns tapping the bowl with their fingertips. Then Souta lifted the bowl and watched in amazement as Fukunao calmly balled her hand into a fist and tapped the table with her knuckles. He set the bowl down once more and took turns tapping the bowl with his fingertips. This time when Fukunao lifted the bowl Souta balled his hand into a fist and tapped the table with his knuckles. But as she returned the bowl to the table Souta tapped it with his hand in a fist.

"Oh no," Souta frowned as he watched his glass was filled with beer once again. Dutifully he drank the beer, although he did not need any encouragement. But Souta, much like Inuyasha, despised loosing.

He challenged the adolescent to yet another game, this time lasting barely a minute as he balled his hand into a fist and tapped the bowl with his knuckles earning himself another glass of beer. He lost two more times before Fukunao's geisha sister Fukuyoshi intervened, "I think you have shown us your prowess at this game."

Stumbling and smiling, Souta stood up. As he return to the table he noticed that Inuyasha was discreetly passing something to Sesshomaru.

"Were you betting on me?" Souta hissed.

"Yeah," Inuyasha mumbled, "lost a bit of money on you too."

"Relax," Fukunao teased. "At least he was betting on you, not against you." Souta glumly adjusted himself on the cushion garnering the attention of the older geisha Mamechiho, "A handsome young man like yourself should not be so glum."

"I bet he's a hit with the ladies," Fukuyoshi added. Inuyasha could not help but chuckle, "You have no idea."

Katsuro had been quiet, sipping his sake and enjoying the evening. He found Souta to be rather pleasant, even humorous. Souta not only resembled Kagome, for he also had her kind yet strong demeanor. And watching Inuyasha and Souta, He inferred that they were more like brothers more than anything else and had been so for a long time.

But he could also sense the tension in Inuyasha. Ordinarily, Inuyash would be very relaxed at a small party like this joking around. But tonight he was quiet, his eyes dark. As the party calmed down a bit, the kitsune found the appropriate opportunity to inquire about his friend's concern.

"So what brings you to Tokyo," Katsuro asked grabbing Souta's and Sesshomaru's immediate attention. Inuyasha swallowed and began, "We are looking for someone named Kengen." At the mention of that name, the three geisha looked at Inuyasha with great interest.

Inuyasha glanced around the room and tentatively asked, "Did I say something?"

"Inuyasha, Kengen is dead," Katsuro explained. "It's been in all the papers." Fukuyoshi and Hismari nodded in agreement.

"What?" Inuyasha replied. Sesshomaru glanced at Souta who reflected the same confusion then glanced at Inuyasha. However, Inuyasha decided to press further, "What happened to him?"

"He was murdered but the police aren't releasing any information," Katsuro explained as Hismari replenished his glass with more sake. "But I have my suspicions."

Holding his cup of sake aloft, Sesshomaru added, "Do tell."

"Kengen loved power more than anything else and would do anything to get it. It was almost an illness. But he was always very guarded, and managed to elude everyone-the police, the yakuza, other gangs, even youkai. But there were a lot of rival organizations that wanted him dead and I believe he was murdered at the order of one of these crime organizations."

"This human was involved in youkai affairs?" Sesshomaru queried gracefully taking a sip from his cup.

"Oh yes," Katsuro added. "He frequently interacted with youkai. I never personally spoke to him, but I have witnessed this on several occasions."

"What was Kengen? Yakuza?" Souta asked. Katsuro looked at him, perplexed that this human in modern clothing was not aware of the big news story. He calmly replied, "Kengen may have thought of himself as yakuza but he was merely a gangster who lusted for power and money."

"That still does not explain what he was doing with a hanyou child," Inuyasha pondered aloud looking at his half full glass of beer.

"What?" Katsuro asked. Inuyasha took a sip of his beer and explained, "There was a little boy found wandering the streets in Tokyo a couple of weeks ago with bizarre injuries. He mentioned the name Kengen"

Katsuro glanced at Inuyasha with repulsion in his eyes at the thought of a hanyou child at the mercy of Kengen as Inuyasha gracefully produced a small photograph of Hikaru from within his silk robes. The three women leaned forward smiling at the photograph. But it was the adolescent who spoke first, "He's cute!"

"Thank you," Inuyasha blushed. "We took Hikaru into our family."

"I would've been surprised if you hadn't adopted him," Katsuro chuckled. "I bet you've already started training him."

"Heh, not yet but soon, very soon," Inuyasha smiled with a glint in his eye. Sesshomaru had been quiet, deep in thought and voiced his concerns, "What worries me about the whole thing is he had a hanyou child captive but for what purpose."

"It would not surprise me if he were to use youkai and hanyou for his bidding," Katsuro explained. "Perhaps he was training Hikaru to be used as a weapon. If you mean to protect this child, you must destroy the rest of the organization before they come looking for him. I have a feeling he was very precious to Kengen."

Inuyasha looked at Sesshomaru who nodded. Katsuro pulled out a pen and paper from his kimono and scrawled out the name and address of a nightclub sliding it across the tabletop, "His name is Daisuke, he is a high ranking yakuza. He will be here tonight. And he will give you some of the answers you want."

Sesshomaru picked up the paper grunted then slipped it into his kimono. He then looked at Inuyasha who nodded in agreement.

"Enough serious talk," Katsuro announced as a long silence had overtaken the room. "Let's enjoy ourselves."

The women left the room to return with elegant plates of food and that the geisha were setting small plates of soup, rice, fish, and sushi before them. As the guests began to eat, Souta noticed that the geisha were not partaking in the meal and turned to Fukunao, "Aren't you going to eat?"

"I have already eaten," Fukunao explained refilling his glass with beer. "Before the party we are given boxed dinner. But you should eat and drink and enjoy yourself. The sushi is most excellent." Souta reluctantly nodded and began to eat his meal, noticing that indeed the dishes were most excellent.

And all too soon, the meal was over and the geisha sisters Fukuyoshi and Fukunao were performing a graceful dance to the accompaniment of Hismari's voice and shamisen, a three stringed guitar like instrument, before them.

Souta was enchanted with the music and the dance. He was familiar with traditional music, but this was the first time he could _feel_ it, understand the emotion behind the words. Perhaps, he mused, he could use traditional instruments in the band he was forming with his friends.

As the party finally came to an end, Inuyasha, Sesshomrau, Souta, and Katsuro were escorted out of the teahouse.

"It has been too long since we have last seen Kagome," Fukuyoshi explained. "We will make a visit. That is a promise."

"Kagome would like that," Inuyasha replied before stepping out into the street with Sesshomaru and Souta.

Fukunao paused and firmly gripped her kimono so that it would not trail on the ground as she ran down the sidewalk, her tall wooden sandals making their distinctive "ko-porri" "ko-porri" sound. Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Souta paused at the commotion and turned around.

"Here," she merely stated with a smile on her painted face as she held up the simple white fan with her name written in red in delicate kanji. "For Hikaru. I hope to meet him some day."

Inuyasha smiled a half smile and bowed accepting the fan, "Maybe one day soon you shall."

Fukunao had watched the party disappear around a corner, in awe of the very creatures she had entertained. It had only been a day since her geisha sister Fukuyoshi had told her that in fact that youkai do exist and she would be entertaining them the next evening. Smiling she turned around and with her shoes gently making their "ko-porri" sound and returned to the teahouse.

"Should we have been speaking about those things in front of the geisha," Souta mused. Inuyasha paused and looked at Souta, "Have you ever heard of the sealed lips of the geisha."

Confused, Souta shook his head.

"The teahouse is one of the few places we can meet to discuss business without the worry of our secrets being revealed."

"Oh," Souta replied. But after a few more minutes of pondering, he asked, "And what does Kagome and Mayumi think of you going to a teahouse?"

"We're inu youkai," Inuyasha mumbled. "We are not like humans. Kagome knows Fukuyoshi and Hismari and knows what goes on at a geisha party. They were the ones that hid Kagome when we had the problems with the shrine."

Clarity overcame Souta's face, as he fully understood his brother-in-law's trust in this group of geisha. He smiled thinking of Fukunao, the young adolescent who had chosen to dedicate herself to the traditional arts of dance and music much as he had chosen to dedicate himself to the sword when he was still a child.

It had felt like Christmas the day Inuyasha emerged from the well presenting him with an elegant katana and soon began to instruct him. His lessons were not easy, but Souta thrived under the grueling regimen often dedicating hours to the art.

And it was that dedication that Souta could see in Fukunao. He had not understood much about the "flower and willow world" as he had heart Sesshomaru refer to it other than strange rumors. But tonight he was surprised to learn that it was a profession of women dedicated to their art, something he could respect.

"Looks like Souta is quite smitten with that _hangyoku_," Sesshomaru commented observing Souta's lovelorn face to which Inuyasha snorted, "Yeah, all the ladies in Rinjihoshi will be jealous."

"You guys say something," Souta said as he paused to turn around. He had been so absorbed in thought that he was walking several paces ahead of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, both of whom were grinning widely.

"We said, the food at the party was delicious," Inuyasha replied.

"Really, I thought I heard something else," Souta muttered. Looking suspiciously at them, he turned away from Sesshomaru and Inuyasha and walked ahead of them mumbling under his breath, "Right."

The conversation quieted as they neared their destination, a more crowded part of Tokyo. Souta bit his lip as they ventured further into the district, unsure of what to expect but prepared for anything. He slowed his pace and was now walking alongside Sesshomaru and Inuyasha stepped ahead.

"Are we heading the right way?" Inuyasha huffed his kimono fluttering around him as he marched down a crowded Tokyo street laden with people out for a night of fun. Sesshomaru, with Souta right behind him, quickly followed him and replied, "Yes we are, but you need to turn right up ahead."

With barely an acknowledgement Inuyasha turned the corner to find lesser-traveled alley. They soon found a few people standing outside a door guarded by two burly looking men.

Inuyasha grabbed the guard by the collar of his shirt and shoved him into the wall before storming into the club. Sesshomaru's face remained an emotionless statue as he and a bemused looking Souta followed Inuyasha inside. At a small table sat the three gentlemen that fit Katsuro's description.

"Sir, we apologize," one of the guards spoke running up to them. Eyeing the claw-like fingers, the silken white hair, and the amber eyes, the human swallowed and told the guards, "It's all right. There is no need to interfere."

Observing the reaction of the man, the guards left as Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Souta sat at the table. Baring a fang Sesshomaru glanced at the human and smirked, "You know what we are?"

He nodded and politely offered his guests, "would you like a drink?"

"That won't be necessary, _Daisuke_" Sesshomaru curtly replied. "We won't be long."

Daisuke could feel a chill run down his spine at the mention of his name. Taking a sip he replied, "Very well. What may I do for you?"

"What do you know about Kengen's death and his gang?"

"Are you friends of Kengen," the gangster asked. Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Souta chuckled at that comment but it was Inuyasha who spoke first, "Why would we associate with someone who harmed one of our clan?"

The gangster leaned forward gripping his glass, "Oh and do you plan to seek revenge, youkai?"

"What I do with him is my business," Inuyasha stated. Leaning forward he asked, "Now do you have any information for me?"

"Very well," the gangster smiled leaning back. "Among other things Kengen ran a very successful business providing 'protection' to certain establishments here in Tokyo. He even had the audacity to invade upon my turf."

Daisuke paused, removing a pack of cigarettes from the inner pocket of his jacket. Inuyasha produced a feral growl, snickering as Daisuke returned the cigarettes to his pocket. The gangster continued, "I personally went to speak to him and he shoved me into a wall. I pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the gut right by his kidneys, but he didn't even react. It was as if the knife had never touched him. I have never seen such strength and quickness in a human. It was as if he had harnessed the strength of a youkai."

"But that is impossible," Sesshomaru quietly hissed. The gangster looked at him and merely stated, "Anything is possible."

"And do you know how he was murdered?" Inuyasha asked. He was eager to end this encounter and return to Rinjihoshi.

"Unfortunately, it was not by anyone in my organization," the gangster replied. "But no one knows who was responsible for his death and only the police with their science know how."

The gangster sighed and took a sip of his drink then set the glass down on the tabletop and looked at it thoughtfully. Then he looked up and Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Souta and said with much emotion in his voice, "I want my turf back!"

"Our business does not concern ourselves with petty little _turf_ wars," Sesshomaru coldly replied. "We just want to make sure the crimes that Kengen committed will never happen again. What you do with whatever _turf_ he has is your business."

A cold sweat broke out on the gangster skin as he listened to Sesshomaru speak. There was something about youkai that always set him on edge, but he could never place a finger on it.

"And just what is his turf?" Souta casually asked looking at his fingernails calmly. The gangster found this human who cohorted with these two youkai most peculiar. It was unheard of for a human to interact so casually with youkai, but he could sense that this was no ordinary human. He swallowed and carefully recited districts, street names, buildings.

"Aren't you going to write this down?" the gangster asked. Inuyasha picked at a piece of lint on his kimono sleeve and nonchalantly replied, "I have no need to."

Sesshomaru frowned. He asked, "So who runs this gang now that Kengen is gone?"

"There are rumors," the gangster replied, not knowing the answer to that question. "But no knows yet. It's a mystery that everyone wants to find out."

Sesshomaru grunted, causing the gangster to jump slightly. Standing up he calmly stated, "I think we're done here." Quietly they left the bar, finally relaxing as they made continued down the street.

"Ahh it feels so nice to be done with all this shit!" Inuyasha announced as they made their way through Tokyo.

"Yeah, that bar reeked," Souta added. "And the gangster was a bit of a weasel."

"He's harmless," Sesshomaru, added as Souta climbed onto his motorcycle, placing the helmet on his head laughing, "I think we scared the shit out of him."

As Souta was about to turn on the ignition to his motorcycle, Inuyasha added, "You did good today."

"Thanks," Souta replied as his motorcycle roared to life and he rode off. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru leapt to the rooftops as they made their way out of Tokyo.

Pulling the silk cloth that covered his ears off his head Inuyasha slipped into the house, placing the fan given to him at the teahouse on Hikaru's bedside table. He paused to watch the child sleep peacefully before kissing him gently on the forehead.

Inuyasha slipped further into his house, dodging the swing of a razor sharp blade. Crouching on the floor he watched as Kagome firmly gripped her naginata, her long staff with a blade on one end, swiftly maneuvering her instrument in a graceful series of kata or premeditated movements.

Her deep purple hakama pants swirled around her body as she moved her hands along the length of the staff her eyes focused in concentration. Her hair had been restrained on the top of her head with a single silver ornamental hairpin.

Kagome had begun to study naginata as part of a high school club shortly after the end of the war with Naraku and her return to her era. But she did not study it seriously until Inuyasha had emerged from the well where he would coach her in the evenings. But Inuyasha's training with the naginata was not great and she soon sought expert practitioners. Now she was one of the masters of the naginata.

Inuyasha had found her performances with the naginata mesmerizing, as she always appeared graceful like a dancer, her face tense in concentration. But her blows could be very deadly

Finishing her deadly movements, Kagome's intense gaze fell on Inuyasha. Instantly she dropped her naginata and ran to Inuyasha who wrapped her in his arms and nuzzled her neck and mumbled, "What were you doing?"

"I couldn't sleep," Kagome, replied with hesitancy in her voice as she took a step back looking into Inuyasha's eyes, "I was so worried so I didn't know what do with myself so I practiced my kata to help relax."

"In the dark?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome nodded, "Is everything okay?"

"Don't worry, everything is fine," he smiled and kissed her gently in the crook of her neck. Kagome frowned, having worked up every possible scenario that could have happened in Tokyo. She could not help but worry. Inuyasha noticed how tense she felt in his arms and tentatively spoke, "what's wrong?"

Looking at him sternly, Kagome firmly asked, "Are you sure everything is okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine," Inuyasha smiled standing up straight and cupping her cheeks with his hands. "Why wouldn't it be?" Kagome looked down at her hands as she wrung them together and muttered before glancing back at him, "So much can go wrong. What if you were seen? What if you got into a fight? What if you got arrested?"

Laughing slightly Inuyasha quickly retorted, "I can handle myself in Tokyo. Besides Souta was there to keep us out of trouble." Kagome smiled and nodded, feeling slightly foolish for sometimes it was so hard to let go. This wasn't the same Inuyasha who first emerged from the well not knowing what an airplane was. Adjusting her kimono, Kagome asked, "So did you find out anything?"

"Not a lot," Inuyasha explained. "But we now know that this Kengen person was a leader in a crime gang."

"Yakuza," Kagome hissed in the darkness. Inuyasha shook his head, "They have done things the Yakuza would never think of. And there are rumors that said that Kengen had inhuman strength and could resist injury."

"He's a youkai?" Kagome gasped.

"I don't think so," Inuyasha whispered back. "He was murdered the night Hikaru was found by himself in the street. And his body was taken by the police." Kagome recoiled slightly, so many questions forming in her head, "But what was he doing with little Hikaru."

"That's what we are going to find out," Inuyasha smiled assuredly cradling the back of Kagome's head with his hand. Kagome relaxed in his arms believing in his promise. She smiled and nodded curtly before bringing her fingers to her lips and yawning.

In one swift movement, Inuyasha had swept Kagome off her feet and into his arms and was carrying her down the hall, "Now no more talk of gangsters."

"Where are we going?" Kagome giggled in his arms.

"You'll see," Inuyasha smiled as he carried her outside and onto the soft grass gently setting her down and sitting next to her. He gazed wistfully up at the stars. Kagome sat in silence next to him enjoying the moment.

"What are you thinking about?" Kagome finally asked. Keeping his eyes trained on the stars, Inuyasha softly replied, "The stars are so clear here but in Tokyo you can hardly see them."

"I noticed the same thing when I started traveling with you," Kagome added. "The lights and pollution from the city drown out the stars."

Inuyasha continued to stare at the night sky, lost in thought. He furrowed his brow, "Don't those humans know what they are doing to themselves?"

"Some do, but even if they did they would not care," Kagome mused. Inuyasha diverted his gaze to Kagome, "Why is that?"

"People are lazy," Kagome sighed. "It is so much easier to throw something away then reuse it."

She looked down at the grass thinking about what she said. Then in an instant she looked up at the stars and smiled, "But people are learning and creating new ways to do things."

Inuyasha chuckled as he looked at Kagome, always so full of hope. She glanced over at him laughing softly, "What are you laughing at?"

"You always manage to see the good in people," Inuyasha smiled. "You always amaze me!"

Kagome yawned, the exhaustion finally consuming her, "That's the miko in me."

"Looks like the miko in you wants to go to sleep," Inuyasha smiled. Kagome pouted, excited in the small bit of information that Inuyasha found and wanting to learn more. She nodded and kissed him gently on his lips before tapping the tip of his nose playfully with her index finger and walking into the house.

Inuyasha smiled and followed her to the bedroom where she was already laying down on the futon her loose hair pooling around her head. Leaning over her, Inuyasha brushed an errant strand out of her face and whispered, "You thought you could get the last kiss."

Inuyasha then kissed Kagome on the nose laughing softly and gently lay down next to her.

This chapter is named after the fanfiction _Dogs In Tokyo_ (found on this website). It's a wonderful story and I recommend it.

Thank you to everyone who sent me a review. I really appreciate them.

I love geisha and have many books about them. In Kyoto, apprentice geisha are called maiko. But in Tokyo they are called hangyoku. In this story, I am basing the geisha on their modern roles. There is no more _mizuage_ (selling of virginity you see in Memoirs of a Geisha) and geisha are finding new roles in modern Japan as experts in the traditional arts and some are finding fame as a result.

If anyone is interested in geisha, check out wwwdotimmortalgeishadotcom and mboogiedown's photoblog on wwwdotflickrdotcom and the maiko Ichimame's blog http://ichi.dreamblog.jp/2/17/

I will also answer any questions about geisha if you send me a pm.


	16. Mystery of the Lost Book

Mystery of the Lost Book

Koukastu smirked as the bouncer of the gentlemen's club nodded and stepped aside to allow him to enter, pleased at the respect his appearance garnered. He stepped up to the bar and ordered a drink, a glass of his favorite whisky over ice. Sitting on a stool, he sipped his drink and waited.

The owner of the club, a portly man with a stringy goatee and dark glasses, nervously smiled upon seeing Koukastu. He wiped his brow with a handkerchief and stepped up to the bar, placing a hand on Koukastu's shoulder, "I hope everything is comfortable for you tonight."

"It is," Koukastu sneered. "But I did not come here to drink whiskey or look at women." The club owner swallowed, knowing full well what Koukastu was referring to but politely asked regardless, "What is it you want?"

"As you are well aware," Koukastu slowly began, "My organization has been providing a valuable service to you for quite some time and we hope to keep continuing this service."

"Oh, of course," the club owner replied as a few droplets of sweat beaded on his forehead. Koukastu took a sip of his whiskey before setting the glass on the countertop, "Well, I'm going to need a little something to keep providing that service."

Stroking his goatee, the club owner agreed, "Yes, yes."

"And if this service was to be interrupted," Koukastu slowly spelled out, "I would hate for something unfortunate to happen to your business."

"Yes that would be most unfortunate," the owner of the club replied. "But not all of my assets are available this evening."

"When would all of your assets become available?" Koukastu coldly asked. A look of discomfort soon was written on the face of the club owner, as if he was suffering from a bout of sever indigestion as he choked out his response, "I can have the remainder tomorrow."

"I don't know," Koukastu calmly stated looking at his fingernails. "What you can offer tonight might not be enough."

"I'll see what I can do." Sweating slightly, the owner of the club quickly disappeared into his office, leaving Koukastu to watch the show from the bar. It was a show he had seen a hundred different times before danced by the same women he had seen in various gentlemen's clubs and hostess bars. Bored from the spectacle, gazed into his glass, the amber liquid almost gone, wanting nothing more than to be done with this business.

Koukastu was grateful for the return of the club's owner who slipped a fat envelope into his hand, mumbling, "It seems that my assets were liquid after all. This should cover all of your services."

"Good," Koukastu replied. "I'm glad we can continue our business together."

"Yes, I agree," the club owner hesitantly replied as Koukastu stood up and walked out of the club, neglecting to pay for his drink.

Out in the street, Koukastu paused to retrieve a cigarette from his coat pocket and puffed at it heartily, grateful that the task was done but in a foul mood at the effort it took. Quickly he trudged to the parking garage and found his car, speeding out f the garage and through the crowded streets of Tokyo.

Soon, his car found its way to the darker less traveled streets of Tokyo where no neon lights glowed and parked his car along a curb. Koukastu looked around before leaving the safety of his care uneasily walked at a quick pace, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He felt for his handgun, concealed in his layer of clothing, a flashy blue business suit.

Koukastu felt wary as he eyed his surroundings, spying a cat running into an alley. But he was unable to forget the events that occurred earlier that evening from his mind. Feeling the nausea pool in the pit of his stomach, he spat out the cigarette and left it on the wet sidewalk to smolder.

Kengen had chosen this building for its unlikely location. Small factories and old office buildings dotted the area, making it an ideal place to hold an office.

Returning to the office, Koukastu should have felt pleased with procuring payment from the club owner. However it was that fateful encounter on the street earlier that evening that chilled him to the bones on this warm summer night. He could not shake the image of the two creatures that had sauntered silently past him. Koukastu could feel the power emanating from them and the low growl he swore he heard was inhuman.

He had shaken the feeling of uneasiness by the time he had reached the gentlemen's club but strangely felt it return as he turned onto this street. Koukastu quickened his pace grateful as he reached the dark four-story building and climbed the stairs to the top floor. He pushed the heavy door open to Kengen's office, now his office, and sat at the simple wooden desk.

Taking the fat envelope from his jacket pocket, Koukastu carefully counted the yen notes pleased that the wiry club owner had counted the bills correctly. He stood up and removed the large painting depicting a traditional maiden on a curved bridge from the wall exposing the safe hidden behind it.

There were other places that Kengen had hid his wealth, but Koukastu never learned of them although he knew they existed. He sighed as he turned the combination and slipped the money into the safe, wondering how much of Kengen's money lay hidden across Japan.

He forced all thoughts of hidden money out of his mind and slammed the safe shut and replaced the painting on the wall. Taking a seat at the worn desk, Koukastu wrote a few entries into a worn notebook. But as he stood up to leave, he noticed a small leather-bound book on the floor next to the bookshelf against the wall.

"I haven't noticed that before," Koukastu grunted walking over to the bookshelf picking up the book off the floor. He flipped through it noticing the vast amount of information it contained on various other gangs, criminal organizations, and yakuza throughout Tokyo and other parts of Japan. There were charts, maps, tables scrawled throughout the book in no particular order.

His heart racing, Koukastu pocketed the book ecstatic of the information that was contained within it. Mysteriously though, he could not shake the feeling of uneasiness he had felt when he first stepped onto this street.

He looked out the dingy window gritting his teeth. Pulling a small flask out of the pocket of his jacket, Koukastu took a large sip of the liquid. He had to leave this office, this building. Koukastu took one last fleeting look out the window before slamming the door shut behind him.


	17. Honor & Tradition

Honor & Tradition

With little ears poking out of a mop of white hair twitching as his little nose sniffed the air, Hikaru crouched near a thicket of bushes waiting patiently for his prey. In the blink of an eye, the rabbit leapt from the cover of the bush and Hikaru leapt into the air diving towards his prey. He landed face down crying out, "Gotcha!"

But as he sat up, Hikaru's arms were empty and the rabbit long gone. Ears drooping slightly, he frowned, "I guess I'm not fast enough."

"Hikaru," Kagome's gentle voice called. Standing up he smiled as Kagome approached him quickly, Izayoi strapped firmly to her back. "Hikaru! Inuyasha is looking for you! C'mon!"

Taking her hand, Hikaru was led to the large shady tree in the back of their house, where Inuyasha was waiting with a long thin box before him. Kagome soon left them to their lesson, "Have fun boys!"

Hikaru waved to Kagome and then kneeled before Inuyasha, eyeing him with curiosity and anxiously looking at the long thin box. He watched as Inuyasha opened the box and removed the long wooden sword, a _shinai_. He bowed as he presented it to Hikaru who bowed slightly in return and took it in his hands grinning fiercely.

"Now this is not a toy," Inuyasha explained as he had done so to Souta so many years ago. "How you hold a sword is a reflection of you." Hikaru nodded, not sure exactly what Inuyasha meant other than this was very serious business.

"Are you ready to begin?" Inuyasha asked. Hikaru nodded as Inuyasha sat before him, his feet in front of him. He copied Inuyasha and sat across from him.

"First we warm up. Now reach for your toes," Inuyasha smiled. Puzzled, Hikaru's fingers wrapped around his toes as his face rested against his knees. After sitting in that position for a few minutes, Inuyasha further instructed, "Stretch your legs out as far as possible."

Inuyasha watched in amazement as Hikaru stretched his legs apart, forming a straight line as he sat in a perfect split. "Okay, reach forward as far as you can."

Hikaru watched Inuyasha and followed his movements, bringing his face to the ground. After a few minutes he asked, "What is this supposed to do?"

"That doesn't hurt you, does it?" Inuyasha asked. Resting his elbows on the grass and his chin on his hands, Hikaru looked at Inuyasha with confusion in his eyes, "No. Is it supposed to?"

"Lots of people can't do what you are doing right now," Inuyasha proclaimed, excitement evident in his voice.

"They can't?" Hikaru replied as he sat up, but with his legs still spread out on either side of him. He had always been able to move his body like that and assumed that everyone could do so as well. Inuyasha grinned proudly, "It's what makes you special."

"Special?" Hikaru questioned frowning as he looked up at Inuyasha. Inuyasha stood up and glanced at the child, "You have a special ability, remember that."

Hikaru nodded and blinked, amazed that not everyone could do what he could do. Eagerly he watched Inuyasha set a long wooden stick on the grass and gesturing with his arms, "Keep your feet together and hop over the stick."

Hikaru eagerly hopped sideways over the stick as he moved along its length, repeating this several times. Pleased with the movement, Inuyasha added a bit more difficulty, "Good, now do it on one foot."

Looking at Inuyasha with bewilderment in his eyes, Hikaru then turned to look at the stick and hopped back and forth over it as he made his way along its length.

"Okay now the other leg," Inuyasha quietly instructed. Nodding Hikaru began to hop over the stick on his left foot but he moved much more slowly and had to pause a few times to keep from loosing his balance.

"Hmm, looks like your leg is still healing," Inuyasha mused out loud. Hikaru looked intently at Inuyasha worry reflected in his eyes. Seeing this, Inuyasha kneeled down and spoke reassuringly, "Don't worry, we'll still get started today."

Inuyasha had Hikaru hop over the stick on his left leg several times, each time the child improving in speed and balance. Seeing that Hikaru was soon growing impatient Inuyasha decided to move on to the next part of the lesson.

A small grin appeared on Hikaru's face as he picked up his sword and Inuyasha slowly guided his arms in an attack. Having taught many children, Inuyasha wisely stepped back and instructed him, "Okay, now do it again."

Hikaru swung the wooden sword wildly causing Inuyasha to step further back. "That was good, but I want you to do it slowly."

"Okay," Hikaru chirped clumsily repeating the movement albeit much more slowly. Inuyasha had him repeat it several more times each time whispering words of encouragement in his ear.

"Now we are going to add another step to this," Inuyasha explained. "When you swing your sword over your head take one step forward with your right foot. I want you to do this slowly." Hikaru carefully executed the maneuver, but using his left foot instead of his right.

"I meant your other right foot," Inuyasha explained holding in a chuckle. In the many children he had taught, at least half had made this mistake. Nodding in understanding Hikaru repeated the movement leading with his right foot. Turning to see Inuyasha looking pleased, Hikaru asked, "Do you want me to do it again?"

Inuyasha nodded and watched as Hikaru repeated the movement several times offering suggestions to improve his stance and delivery of the movement. Soon, Hikaru had learned three more movements. Pleased with his pupil's progress, Inuyasha decided to offer him a treat of some sweat melon juice.

"I like this," Hikaru eagerly stated. Taking a sip and sitting with his back leaning against the tree Inuyasha added, "It is good. That is your treat for working so hard today."

Smiling Hikaru sat down on the soft grass next to Inuyasha and finished his drink. Setting the cup down on the grass, Hikaru rolled onto his stomach then raised his legs up and over his head as his back folded in half and was now examining the bottom of his foot. Using one of his claws he carefully peeled off the sticky fruit he had stepped on while learning the maneuver.

Inuyasha stood up from and crouched in front of Hikaru watching as the child concentrated on removing the annoying fruit from the bottom of his foot and asking with astonishment in his voice, "This doesn't hurt you does it?"

"Nope," Hikaru replied as he peeled the last bit of fruit off his foot. Inuyasha stood up and smiled as he watched Hikaru roll out of that position. The boy was obviously naturally flexible. Perhaps, he thought, he could develop this talent.

"Oi, Kagome!" Inuyasha called to the porch where Kagome sat under the shade of an awning repairing arrows. "Come over here!"

Absentmindedly clutching an arrow in her hand, Kagome ran to the tree, "Is something wrong?"

"No," Inuyasha replied with an eager grin on his face. Turning to Hikaru he eagerly asked, "Can you do that feet over your head thing again?"

"Okay," Hikaru replied as he plopped down on his stomach and raised his legs up and over his head and grabbed his ankles. Kagome gasped, dropping her arrow as she proclaimed, "Oh my!"

"Pretty amazing, isn't it?" Inuyasha observed. Kagome smiled, "Hikaru you are amazing!" Rolling out of this position, Hikaru smiled sheepishly at his parents.

Kagome kneeled before Hikaru, "Where did you learn that?" Hikaru shrugged, "I don't know, I just did it one day."

"And does it hurt you?" Kagome asked, still astonished at the feat. Hikaru shook his head, "I don't know what the big deal is. It's just something I can do."

"Not a lot of people can do that dear," Kagome smiled. Hikaru smiled and nodded. Retrieving her forgotten arrow, Kagome began to walk to the shade of the porch, "I'll let you get back to your lesson."

Turning to Hikaru, Inuyasha led him through several defensive movements, pleased at how quickly and accurately he performed them. Inuyasha smiled for soon, very soon, Hikaru would join the ranks of students at his dojo. He observed as Hikaru watched Kagome step out of the house with her razor sharp naginata firmly gripped in her hand, his attention on her as she performed a series of premeditated movements, each increasing in difficulty and speed.

"What is she doing?" Hikaru asked. Inuyasha effortlessly leapt to Hikaru's side and explained, "She is using a special sword called a naginata. It is very effective."

Taking a furtive glance at Inuyasha, Hikaru queried, "Can I learn that too?"

Laughing, Inuyasha replied, "You will, but not right now. You have so much more to learn with your katana first." Hikaru nodded his ears drooping slightly in disappointment but Inuyasha was quick in offering a distraction, "lets practice sparring."

Hikaru followed him to a nice clearing under the tree his brow furrowed in what "sparring" was. He soon learned that sparring meant moving the sword over his head the way Inuyasha had shown him earlier while Inuyasha performed a similar movement with his sword to block it.

"Well done," Inuyasha smiled. Hikaru's ears perked up as he prepared to do the move again. They practiced the movement several times before Inuyasha introduced several new movements and stances. After successfully teaching Hikaru a sideways attack, Inuyasha suddenly smirked.

"Have you ever seen a sword fight?" he asked. Hikaru shook his head as Inuyasha turned to face Kagome, "Oi, do you want to spar?"

"Sure," Kagome smiled. Hikaru sat down on the grass, his legs spread out, his elbows on the ground and his chin resting in the palm of his hands watching as Kagome and Inuyasha grinned at each other. But all smiles disappeared as Kagome and Inuyasha faced each other and bowed respectfully before standing tall to face each other, Kagome with her long sword in front of her and Inuyasha with his sword over his right shoulder.

Inuyasha attacked first with a downwards swing that Kagome countered with by holding her blade upwards. Kagome gracefully spun around and sliced at Inuyasha with a sideways movement.

Grunting, Inuyasha swung his sword from the opposite direction, the two blades meeting with a loud 'clank.' Both Inuyasha and Kagome leapt backwards, grinning at each other before leaping forward. Kagome sliced downward while Inuyasha countered with another downward swing as he stepped backwards, forcing her blade into the ground.

Kagome took a tentative step back as she eyed Inuyasha. Watching her step back, Inuyasha swung his sword over his head and leapt towards Kagome swinging downwards with his sword. Bending low at the knees, Kagome countered with an upwards swing. Inuyasha quickly leapt back and swung his sword from left to right in front of him as Kagome swung at him from the opposite direction.

Kagome then spun around and attacked with a powerful sideways swing. Inuyasha leapt into the air and flipped over Kagome, landing behind her. Kagome grinned a fierce grin and spun around quickly attacking him from the right and then the left as he quickly shielded himself from the blows with his sword.

Hikaru grinned, impressed by the display before him as he watched Kagome take several slow choreographed steps backwards and Inuyasha take several slow choreographed steps forward.

With a loud cry, Inuyasha leapt forward, slicing diagonally at Kagome as she narrowly dodged his sword, grinning at him sheepishly. Kagome took a few quick steps toward him, attacking with a diagonal swing.

As Inuyasha dodged the swing with his sword, he stepped sideways and swung sideways with both hands clutching the hilt of his sword. Kagome spun out of the way and watching as Inuyasha prepare to position the sword for the next attack. Deftly she thrust her sword forward; an attack that Inuyasha was not able to dodge, and her blade stopped mere hair lengths from his neck.

Inuyasha froze and raised his arms to his side, letting his sword fall from his hands. Kagome smiled and retracted the sword, turning to face Hikaru, "Well, what did you think of that?"

"That was awesome!" Hikaru proclaimed standing up and running up to Inuyasha and Kagome. "Am I going to learn how to do that?"

"You will," Inuyasha smiled rustling Hikaru's hair. Hikaru smiled, as they walked into the house, dreaming of the day he could move as powerfully as Inuyasha and as gracefully as Kagome.


	18. Challenges and Surprises

Challenges and Surprises

_He's so quiet, as if he's afraid,_ Kagome mused as she ventured into town with a cooing Izayoi on her back and Hikaru tightly clutching her hand at her side. _I shouldn't be surprised. I just wish I knew what happened to him._ Shippo had been so trusting of her in the beginning, but he had come from a loving family and other than his parents death had not experienced much trauma. It was obvious that Hikaru had endured both physical and emotional pain, much like Inuyasha, and naturally was very untrusting.

_It's just like how Inuyasha was in the beginning._ Kagome recalled his defensive attitude, feeling so foolish for letting her childlike temper get the better of her at the time. Hikaru would test her patience as well, but this time she was prepared. Plus she had Inuyasha's insight to help her.

As they approached the main part of the village, Kagome could feel Hikaru's grip on her hand tighten at the sight of many strange and new people that often crowded the village's main square. Kagome looked down at him and smiled, squeezing his hand back, "Don't worry, it'll be okay."

Hikaru nodded and followed her through the carts laden with various fruits and vegetables. He relaxed his grip as he caught the scent of sweet melons in the air. Perhaps he would ask Kagome if he could have some.

But before he could find the courage to ask Kagome, he was being led to a wooden dwelling that lined the square and through the large open doors into a teashop. Kagome wrapped an arm around his shoulders and introduced him to the proprietress of the teashop, who bowed and offered him a sweet.

Hikaru bowed back and smiled, quickly eating the sweet. Growing bored as Kagome chatted with the proprietress, he pulled out a small ball from the folds of his kimono and began to play with it rolling it from his fingertips down to his shoulders. But with his second attempt, the ball rolled off his arm down to the floor where it rolled out of the teashop.

"Kagome," Hikaru quietly asked tugging on Kagome's sleeve. Smiling at him, Kagome asked, "Yes dear."

"Can I get my ball? It rolled outside." Giggling softly, Kagome replied, "Of course dear." Hikaru ran after his ball, finding it under a table in the square. As he reached under the table for it, he heard the voice of a nearby child, "Hey what have we got here?"

"Looks like a half breed like me," Came the harsh toned response of another child. Hikaru froze, not sure what a "half-breed" was but he suspected that the children were talking about him and not in a good way. Gripping his ball, he stood up and turned around coming face to face with two boys who were much taller and bigger than him.

"What do you want?" Hikaru asked. Not a hint of fear could be heard in his voice, although he could feel fear taking a hold of him. The taller of the two, a fierce looking boy with long light brown hair arranged in a ponytail at the back of his head and a simple indigo kimono and hakama pants snickered, "We want to know what a half breed like you is doing polluting our town."

"We're tired of all of you coming in and ruining things for the rest of us," the stocker of the two, his unruly dirty-white hair hanging over his shoulders giving him a menacing look.

"I was doing nothing to you," Hikaru firmly replied gripping his ball tightly.

"You dare talk back to us?" the taller of the two retorted as he forcefully pushed Hikaru who flew backwards onto the table, knocking it over and its wooden lacquer ware onto the ground. Still gripping his ball, Hikaru stood up and shouted, "What was that for?"

"For being a half breed!" the stockier boy with the dirty-white hair shouted grabbing Hikaru by the front of his kimono.

From the teashop, Kagome had watched the events transpire before her eyes. Storming out of the shop with the teashop proprietress behind her, she confronted the boys, "Just what do you think you are doing?"

"Just showing the half breed his place," the boy gripping Hikaru's kimono defiantly stated. From the look of their simple woven kimono and rough nature, Kagome recognized these boys from the remote farming communities on the outskirts of Rinjihoshi where bloodlines were still honored.

"I suggest you let go of that boy," a young woman with a sharp staff with a blade on the end coldly stated. The boys froze at the sight of the young woman thick golden hair hanging down her back. With a rough shove, the boy let go of Hikaru.

"Now I suggest you two leave," the young woman commanded thrusting her sword forward. The vendor whose table and wares were knocked over added, "You heard her, get going!"

Eyeing the angry looks of the crowd that had gathered the two boys began to back up. But before they ran off, the taller of the pair pointed at Hikaru, "Don't think this is over half-breed!"

Hikaru stood up and glared at the boys, not saying a word as they turned around and ran out of the village square. The young woman spoke in a kind voice, "They are always causing trouble, but they're gone for now."

Kagome numbly nodded as the young woman quickly asked if she was okay. The young woman squeezed her arm in encouragement and whispered in her ear, "Sensei, if you need anything you know where to reach me."

"Thank you," Kagome whispered back. The young woman smiled as she continued on her way. Once the crowd had dissipated, Hikaru firmly grasped onto Kagome's hand and spoke softly, "I caused a lot of trouble, didn't I?" Kagome knelt to his level and rested her palm on his cheek, "No dear, you did nothing wrong."

"But if I didn't drop my ball, those boys would not have seen me," Hikaru protested, his voice barely audible. Sighing, Kagome explained, "Those boys were trouble. You just had an accident and everybody has accidents."

Hikaru nodded and looked down at his feet, looking as if something else was bothering him. He bit his lip before he quietly spoke, "Kagome, what is a half-breed?"

Kagome sighed, not expecting this question so soon. She swallowed and slowly began to explain, "A half breed is a person who is half human and half youkai."

"Like me," Hikaru asked, confused. Kagome nodded as she continued, "Most of the people in this village are very honorable. But some humans are afraid of youkai and some youkai don't like humans. And those boys are from a place where youkai don't like humans that much."

"I don't like them," Hikaru stated, his voice a little louder. Smiling Kagome added, "Well the place they come from is far from here. You won't see much of them."

"Good," Hikaru smiled. Relieved that Hikaru was not too disturbed by the boys, Kagome firmly stated, "Remember, being a hanyou is a very special thing. You are the result of a human and a youkai that loved each other so much they created you, understand?"

Grinning, Hikaru nodded. Kagome led them out of the center of the village to a traditional wooden structure where they climbed a few worn wooden steps. As they stepped into the small café, Hikaru closed his eyes and inhaled the sweet scents around him. Kagome laughed as she led him to a small table and sat him down. As she set the peaceful Izayoi in her basket, Kagome whispered to Hikaru, "You can have anything you want."

"I can!" Hikaru replied wide-eyed. He sat up and sniffed the air, "What smells so good?"

Sticking her nose in the air, Kagome explained, "That would be chocolate."

"Choc-o-late," Hikaru queried, his ears twitching in contemplation. Kagome smiled, "It comes from a land far away from here and is very sweet."

An ear atop Hikaru's head twitched as he bit his lip. Finally she spoke, "Can I try some?"

"Sure," Kagome replied as the son of the owner of the café, a rebellious young youkai clad in an unusual black kimono with an elaborate spider web embroidered on it and much of his long white hair defying gravity approached their table. Kagome smiled at his latest hairstyle, knowing how much it amused his parents. Bowing lowly, he said, "May I ask who the young man is?"

"Oh this is Hikaru," Kagome replied ruffling his hair. "Our new son."

"Well pleased to meet you," he replied bowing once again. As he stood up he smiled, "What may I get for you today?"

"Hikaru will have a chocolate cupcake and a glass of hot chocolate and I will have a vanilla cupcake and a mint hot chocolate."

"Very well," he replied and as he walked away, Hikaru whispered, "He sure is weird."

Kagome laughed, "I have to agree, but he's a good person." Hikaru soon forgot the strange young waiter and let his mind wander to what the boys had said earlier. Glumly he crossed his arms on the table and rested his chin on them.

"What's the matter dear?" Kagome asked her young charge. Pouting, Hikaru replied, "Are there many people like those boys?"

"Most of the people in our village are not like that. There are places outside our village where you will find people like that, but your father and I will always protect you." Hikaru nodded, his chin still resting on his arms.

"Hikaru dear, there are lots of hanyou children here. You'll meet them soon enough," Kagome offered, understanding how much pain Hikaru was in. Hikaru blinked and raised his head off his arms, his face beginning to relax. Smiling, Kagome added, "I even have a surprise for you after this."

"You do?" Hikaru replied his voice tingeing with excitement as their cupcakes and warm drinks were set before them. Kagome nodded, "Yes, I do."

Hikaru's attention was swiftly switched to the desert before him. He picked up the fork and looked at it quizzically. Watching Kagome slice into the small cake and balance the sliver on the fork, Hikaru did the same.

"How is it?" Kagome eagerly smiled as she watched Hikaru slowly chew on the chocolate cake his eyes closed as if he was trying to savor it. Swallowing the tasty morsel, Hikaru smiled and opened his eyes, "It's yummy!"

"That's chocolate!" Kagome explained. Hikaru smiled taking another slice of the cake, "I like chocolate."

"Here try some of this!" Kagome offered pushing the white cup with the pink sakura blossoms towards him. He picked up the cup and carefully sipped the hot liquid smiling at the flavor, "It's chocolate!"

Kagome offered him a piece of her cake, "Try this. It's called vanilla." Hikaru tasted the piece Kagome set on his plate and smiled, "That's yummy too! But I still like chocolate better."

"You know what!" Kagome smiled leaning closer to him. "That's okay!" Hikaru smiled then returned to his cake, cutting a slice to offer Kagome, "Do you want to try mine?"

"That's okay dear, you enjoy it," Kagome smiled as she enjoyed watching as Hikaru savor every last morsel of his cupcake and last drop of his hot chocolate. As they were about to leave, Hikaru spoke up, "Why can't I carry Izayoi?"

"You want to carry her?" Kagome asked. Hikaru nodded.

With Izayoi firmly strapped onto his back, Hikaru followed Kagome into the sword smith's shop. His heart beating quickly at the thought of a new sword, Hikaru smiled as Kagome spoke to a young woman with thick golden hair hanging down her back smiled and bowed lowly.

"You're the girl with the sword!" Hikaru announced as he recognized the young woman. Grinning and leaning down, she replied, "Yes I am. Are you okay?"

Hikaru nodded. Turning to face Kagome, the young woman asked, "What may I do for you today Sensei?"

"I would like to purchase a practice naginata for Hikaru," Kagome proudly stated to which Hikaru nodded. Grinning the young woman smiled, "So this is Hikaru. Finally I get to meet you."

"Um, nice to meet you," Hikaru mumbled as he bowed to her. The young woman bowed to him in return, "Nice to meet you too, Hikaru. My name is Hisamari. Are you carrying your sister?"

"Yes ma'am," Hikaru proudly replied as Hisamari admired the infant on his back, "She's gotten so big!"

"She has," Kagome smiled as Izayoi yawned. Hisamari laughed at Izayoi's yawn, commenting, "She's so cute. I just love those ears! And Hikaru has them too!"

Hikaru blushed at that comment and inched closer to Kagome who scratched his ear. He swatted hand away, deciding that too much attention was being placed on his ear. However, all bashfulness was lost as Hisamari stated, "So a naginata for you, young man!"

Eyeing her with curiosity as she pulled out a tape measure from the sleeve of her kimono and measured how tall he was, Hikaru wondered what type of sword he would be getting. Would it be a long one like Kagome's or perhaps a little shorter? Smiling as she practically skipped into the next room, Hisamari chanted, "I think I have what you are looking for."

A loud noise of something heavy being dragged across a wooden floor and a loud crash could be heard. Hikaru looked at Kagome quizzically who called out to Hisamari, "Are you okay in there?"

"Just peachy!" Hismari could be heard yelling back as the sound of numerous wooden sticks fell to the floor. Hikaru twitched his ears in concern, "Is she going to be okay Kagome?"

"I hope so," Kagome muttered looking toward the room where Hisamari vanished. A few seconds later, Hismari emerged with a wooden practice naginata, a few strands of hair out of place, "I knew I had one his size lying around here."

Hikaru's eyes grew large as Hismari stepped up to him, leaning down slightly, as she passed the long wooden sword to him, "Here you go."

"Uh, thank you," Hikaru replied, taking the sword into his hands and admiring it as Kagome paid for it. With Kagome done paying for the sword, he clutched her hand and they continued outside.

Noticing the impending clouds and the wind, Kagome quickly led him to the main courtyard, "C'mon we must hurry if we are to beat the rain."

"How do you know it is going to rain?" Hikaru asked. Kagome pointed to the clouds in the distance, "You see those clouds. Once they reach us, they will drop rain on us."

"Oh," Hikaru replied as Kagome led him to the carts loaded with produce, selecting various vegetables and fruits. Smelling the sweet scent of melons, Hikaru boldly found his courage and pointed to the fruit, "Can we have some of that?"

"Of course," Kagome smiled as she selected a couple of melons. Her basket full, Kagome grasped Hikaru's hand and headed out of town, "Let's head home!"

By the time they reached their home and stepped inside, the rain had begun to fall in heavy sheets. Inuyasha was all too happy to have them return home before the rain, having successfully caught a couple of rabbits for dinner that evening.

"Here, I'll take Izayoi," Inuyasha offered taking the cooing infant into his arms. As Hikaru admired his new sword from the floor of the main room, Kagome had explained to Inuyasha all that had transpired earlier in the day. Inuyasha frowned in understanding.

He solemnly watched as Kagome lead the eager child to the porch, his mood somber, as he had failed to protect Hikaru from such racism. He knew he could not protect his children from such hate but it still hurt.

On the porch Kagome had laid out a soft thin futon.

"Remember, we always warm up before we train," Kagome explained as

They stretched on the futon, stretching their legs out on either side of them and reaching out to each foot and then straight ahead.

"Wow, Inuyasha can't do that," Hikaru proclaimed as Kagome leaned forward, her face resting against the futon. Sitting up, Kagome smiled, "That is because he does not practice."

"I don't practice what," Inuyasha huffed as he stepped onto the porch with Izayoi bundled in a blanket against his chest and a small cup of baby food in his other hand.

"Flexibility," Kagome sternly stated. Inuyasha grunted as he sat down on a cushion, leaning against the wall of the house. He watched as Kagome led Hikaru through an extensive array of stretching as he carefully offered a spoon of strained carrots to a squirming Izayoi.

"Flexibility is only part of what one must master," Inuyasha retorted. Hikaru and Kagome smiled at each other as they continued to stretch. Soon she had Hikaru practicing the basic movements of naginata. Kagome had him practice each movement slowly, stopping to correct any mistakes and very quickly he was performing them accurately.

Hikaru concentrated as Kagome was much more stricter than Inuyasha, pleased that he was doing his exercises correctly. Offering a small smile, Kagome added, "I'm going to get my practice naginata and we are going to spar."

"Okay," Hikaru replied wiping the sweat from his forehead. Kagome took a small towel and rolled it, instructing Hikaru to sit in a split, with one leg in front of him and the other in back. Carefully she placed the towel under his front leg causing Hikaru to whimper slightly.

"Does it hurt?" Kagome asked. Hikaru quietly replied, "A little."

"This will make you move better," Kagome explained. "Do you want to stop?"

"I'm okay," Hikaru whispered. Kagome nodded and went into the house. Izayoi, having finished her meal, had fallen asleep against her father's shoulder. Inuyasha worriedly asked, "You don't have to do that if it hurts."

"It doesn't hurt that bad," Hikaru honestly replied. Laughing, Inuyasha added, "You are one tough kid." A grin appeared on Hikaru's face-he liked that comment.

Kagome quickly returned to the porch carrying her practice naginata with the wooden blade, "Are you okay?" As the child nodded, Kagome added, "Do you want to spar?"

Grinning Hikaru crawled out of the split and grabbed his sword. Kagome and Hikaru bowed to each other. Kagome performed a simple attack slowly, to which Hikaru accurately performed a defensive move. Hikaru then attacked and Kagome responded by blocking his blow. She began to increase the speed of the dance, as Hikaru was having no problems.

Inuyasha leaned forward, watching at how well Hikaru was moving. There was no hesitation to his movements. Perhaps the naginata would be more suited for the boy? Hikaru was too young to tell. But one thing Inuyasha was certain of, it was time for Hikaru to start his lessons at the dojo.

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Thanks for all the kind reviews! The spider web kimono I described earlier really does exist. Actually, spider web motifs are common in modern kimono and obi-kind of a punk/gothic style. You sometimes see it in the Japanese fashion magazines Gothic Lolita Bible, Cure, and Fruits. You can get Cure magazine at Hot Topic and Gothic Lolita Bible and Fruits magazines at Kinokuniya bookstore (if there is one in your town-a great shop for manga!) or any other Japanese bookstore. 


	19. An Old Adversary

An Old Adversary

An ominous figure stood on a rooftop, his long brown and black strands of hair wildly flowing around his face, an exposed fang glistening in the fading sunlight. Clad in a simple black shirt and worn black jeans, his amber eyes gazed upon the dingy alley and worn building that lined the street, focusing on a small office building, no taller than four stories tall.

The inu youkai Ganjou frowned, for he had been watching this spot for that past few days, eager to discover the successor to Kengen but growing impatient of the wait. He smirked for he was one of the few who knew where Kengen and his closest cohorts conducted their innermost workings, a fact that Kengen was not even aware of.

Although he often associated with Kengen, Ganjou despised him. He despised all humans, actually. They smelled foul, left trash everywhere, and in his eyes were the most selfish creatures on the planet. Yet he tolerated them for they were the dominant species on the planet and he had uses for them.

A strong gust of wind tossed the hair about his face, urging Ganjou to inhale deeply. He noticed a scent long gone, washed away by the recent rains. The boy, the hanyou child, was nowhere to be found. Yet the stench of stale old blood could still be detected in the air.

Ganjou wondered casually what had happened to the child. He was not too particularly concerned, however, for the child was only half youkai after all. But Kengen knew too much of the ways of youkai and Ganjou knew that he had been manipulating the child.

"You got what you deserved in the end," Ganjou spoke aloud, inwardly smirking. A few words exchanged in the most unexpected of places had set off a chain of events much like the falling of stacks of dominoes. If only he had been present to witness the event.

Soon, a lone car found its way to the darker less traveled streets of Tokyo where no neon lights glowed and parked his car along a curb. Ganjou kneeled in anticipation as he memorized every detail of the car; it's highly polished black surface and tinted windows and the small dent on its rear bumper.

Ganjou's heart began to beat faster as the car door swung open. He gasped as he spotted Koukastu looking around nervously before leaving the safety of his car and slamming the door shut. He hurried to the heavy door of the small office building swinging it open as an ubiquitous cigarette dangled from his lips.

Ganjou wrinkled his nose at the faint stench of cigarettes, wondering why so many humans liked them. To him, the offensive objects were just another reason to despise humans.

"So Koukastu has taken charge," Ganjou grinned. "I wonder where his lap dog is," he added to no one in particular, referring to the brute Hitodenashi who often did the dirty work. Koukastu, in his opinion, was shrewd but not as smart as Kengen. He would be easy to manipulate. Satisfied with this important bit of information, Ganjou leapt from his perch and disappeared into the Tokyo skyline.

From the shadows of a nearby building, the kitsune Katsuro frowned as he watched Ganjou take off into the distance. He too had been curious about who would succeed Kengen, but he felt troubled at the sight of Ganjou. He was careful to stay downwind so as not to alert the other youkai's sensitive nose.

Katsuro gritted his teeth for he knew how dangerous Ganjou could be. Arrogant, brash, opinionated and strong Ganjou was one of the few individuals to cause both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru trouble in battle. Originally from Rinjihoshi, it was Ganjou who had given Inuyasha some of his most extensive injuries. Inuyasha recovered, but Ganjou was driven out of Rinjihoshi.

Katsuro gazed down the street, recognizing the thin man with loose shoulder length hair as he stepped out of the simple office building. Although he moved gracefully, Katsuro knew this man to be rather brutal almost barbaric like. Although he could not recall a name, he knew this man to be one of Kengen's henchmen. Silently he leapt to a nearby rooftop.

From his perch on a rooftop nearby, Katsuro had watched as the gangster discreetly slips a small worn notebook into his jacket pocket. His behavior had been rather uneventful in the kitsune's eyes apart from the nervous glances he shot every few seconds.

_Why is he so nervous_? Katsuro thought. Kengen had been so confident, but the new leader of the gang seemed tentative. The gangster quickly made his way to his car and sped off. As he watched the car travel down the street, Katsuro recalled the name of Kengen's successor: Koukastu.

Effortlessly, Koukastu leapt from his rooftop pleased to find a small, but important, bit of information to the mystery of the child Inuyasha and Kagome had adopted. Smiling he bounded from rooftop to rooftop into the heart of the city.

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I'm sorry for the short chapter, but not a lot happens here. Thank you for your kind reviews. I feel your observations are really helping me to improve as a writer. 


	20. An Introduction

An Introduction

"You know what I am," the unusual stranger spoke issuing more of a statement than a question. A cold sweat formed on the brow of Koukastu and his heart began to beat faster as he sat at the bar, gazing at the stranger standing before him. He eyed the strange wild strands of black and brown hair the amber eyes and the claw-like fingers gripping a glass of beer, recognizing the features from the entry Kengen had written in that worn little book.

Barely half way through the book, Koukastu found the passage describing these strange creatures:

_Youkai will look human at a glance. But upon closer inspection, there are key features that distinguish them from humans. They often have ears that come to a point or even in the shape of an animal, sometimes covered in fur. Usually they will conceal these features beneath their hair._

_Most youkai prefer to wear their hair long and loose, even down to their knees. The color of their hair ranges from snowy white, to deep reds, a variety of browns, and even blonde._

_Although some have unremarkable eyes, there are those that will have unusual colors and even unusual pupils! Amber, bright greens, unnatural blues and even reds are common colors. Inu and neko youkai will have slit-like pupils much like of a cat._

_Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of a youkai is their hands. Every single one I have seen has had a claw like shape to the fingers with long claw-like fingernails. They are rumored to be rather dangerous. But these features can be hard to see, as most youkai will hide their hands in the folds of their clothing._

_Almost all youkai prefer traditional kimono to modern clothing. But unlike human kimono, they prefer brighter colors, longer sleeves, and a more relaxed fit. They will often attempt to conceal their features with their clothing, using scarves to hide their ears and tucking their hands in their sleeves to hide their claw-like fingers._

Koukastu swallowed. He did not believe what Kengen written, and was still wary of the passage. But here in front of him was living proof. He could feel the bile rise in his mouth as fear began to take hold of him.

Grunting softly, Koukastu nodded as the stranger took a seat next to him at the bar as he ordered a small glass of whisky poured over ice. Taking a sip of the amber liquid Koukastu spoke quietly, "Why do you seek me out?"

Ganjou eyed Koukastu from the corner of his eye as he lied; "I merely wish to meet with the successor to my friend's business."

Koukastu nodded, barely able to speak. He found the idea of a youkai as an ally tantalizing. But he knew they could be dangerous, very dangerous. But he also knew to keep his enemies close. He would indulge this strange creature, but he would tread carefully.

"And may I inquire who seeks out my company," Koukastu diplomatically stated, his voice returning. Taking a large sip of his beer, the stranger quietly drawled out, "Ganjou."

Taking another sip of his whiskey with hands shaking slightly, he offered his name in return, "Koukastu."

"Interesting name," Ganjou muttered, for Koukastu was definitely _sly_ but he had his weaknesses and he could smell the scent of fear emanating off him in waves. But he was quickly growing tired of niceties and quietly spoke his true intention, "And what are your plans for my clans?"

"I do not wish to encroach on your affairs, Ganjou," Koukastu hesitantly spoke. "I merely wish to continue with Kengen's legacy."

"Very well," Ganjou replied. Although he spoke such diplomatic word today, the youkai knew what type of person Koukastu was. Much like Kengen, he craved power, and it would only be a matter of time before he stepped into the affairs of youkai.

"And I will ensure my affairs do not interfere with yours," Ganjou added. "But I do think it would be most advantageous for us to consult with one another."

Koukastu could feel his heart beat even faster. But he knew he would have to agree to this arrangement. Nodding he added, "Yes, that would be most advantageous."

He watched as Ganjou downed the rest of his beer and set the empty glass mug on the bar top and stand up abruptly as to leave, "Good,"

"How will I contact you?" Koukastu asked. Smiling widely so that his fangs glistened in the dim lights of the bar, Ganjou replied, "I will seek you out when the time comes."

The youkai then turned around and quickly stormed out of the bar, his hair flowing wildly around him as a smirk formed on his face. He had put the gangster Koukastu in his place, scaring the wits out of the human. Koukastu would be all too easy to manipulate.

At the bar, Koukastu shakily pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and brought it to his lips. With shaky hands, he brought the lighter to his cigarette finally managing to light it after several missed attempts. He felt empty, shaken to the core. Gentlemen's club owners and hostess bar proprietors he could easily handle, but youkai, as he understood these creatures to be, frightened him.

He had yet to see them unleash their power, but he could sense how powerful and dangerous these creatures to be. Koukastu knew he would have to be very calculating with youkai, but deep down he realized that these creatures would always hold the upper hand. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the sweat from his brow before downing the last of his whiskey, eager to leave the bar.

As Koukastu stepped out of the bar, he lit another cigarette and thought of the boy he had forgotten. Hikaru had fit Kengen's description of a youkai. And now, he was even more curious as to the reason why his former boss kept him. Was he hoping to make a loyal servant of the child, a monster willing to do his bidding for him? Or was it something more ominous?

* * *

Don't fret everyone, next chapter will be cuter! I promise. 


	21. Little Adventures

Little Adventures

"Hold the bow steady," Kagome instructed as she adjusted the weapon in Hikaru's hands. "Now aim, and fire!"

The arrow left the bow, flying through the air a few feet before landing on the grass. Hikaru frowned and turned to face Kagome, disappointed that the arrow did not even reach the tree she had instructed him to aim for.

"Very good!" Kagome spoke aloud handing him another arrow. "Lets see if you can get the arrow a little further." Nodding Hikaru took the arrow, notched it in the bow, aimed, and fired. But once again the arrow failed to reach its target, landing on the soft grass next to the other one.

"Don't give up!" Kagome quickly spoke. Nodding, Hikaru took another arrow and fired again, the arrow traveling an even shorter distance than the first two. Determined, he reached for another arrow and fired it quickly, traveling a little further than any of the other arrows. He continued to practice, some of the arrows getting closer to their target some of them landing far from it.

"Well done!" Inuyasha called out as he stepped into the clearing in back of their home, Sesshomaru and Inuryoku behind him. Hikaru turned to look at Inuyasha quizzically for not a single arrow had come close to hitting the target.

Kneeling next to him, Inuyasha smiled, "Shooting an arrow is a lot harder than using a sword. Just keep practicing and you'll get, alright?" Hikaru nodded, laughing as Inuyasha scratched on of his ears, "Now are you ready to go?"

Grinning, Hikaru followed Inuyasha and Sesshomaru into the forest, walking eagerly next to Inuryoku who had a quiver of arrows on his back and a bow slung over his right arm.

"I'm gonna catch my first boar today!" Inuryoku boasted as they marched into the trees. Adjusting the bow on his arm, he added, "I've been practicing all week."

"How long did it take you to learn to shoot an arrow?" Hikaru quietly asked. Grinning Inuryoku bragged, "Took me only a week!"

"Oh," Hikaru replied his ears drooping as he looked down at the ground. A few feet ahead of the boys, Sesshomaru had heard every word. Turning around he sternly gazed at both of the boys, "One should never brag of one's accomplishments."

"But I was just telling Hikaru how long it took for me to learn to shoot an arrow," Inuryoku pleaded. Sesshomaru crossed his arms and glared down at Inuryoku, "How long did it take for you to do the splits?"

"Two months," Inuryoku muttered looking down at the ground. Turning to Hikaru, Sesshomaru asked the same question. Biting his lip, Hikaru meekly replied, "A day."

Inuryoku's eyes grew wide as he gawked at Hikaru. Sesshomaru then knelt to both boys level and explained, "Everyone learns how to do things differently, so no more bragging okay."

"Yes otousan," Inuryoku meekly replied. Standing up, Sesshomaru smiled, "C'mon lets go."

Both boys followed the two older youkai into the forest. Inuyasha nodded at Sesshomaru as he glanced at Hikaru who appeared to be lost in thought.

"What is the dojo like?" Hikaru asked. Inuryoku grinned, "It's a lot of fun, but remember to do everything you sensei asks you to."

"Good," Hikaru replied. "Inuyasha says I can go to the dojo soon." Inuryoku frowned in confusion, "Why don't you call Inuyasha otousan. He is your father after all."

Hikaru grew quiet and gazed down at the ground, "I dunno"

In truth, Hikaru did not understand what a father or even a mother was. But everyone around him used those words. Inuryoku called Sesshomaru that, and Sesshomaru looked after him much the same way that Inuyasha did.

Hikaru watched as Inuyasha's ear twitched and he paused sniffing the air. He looked at Sesshomaru who nodded. Turning to the boys, Inuyasha whispered, "Stay quiet."

With a determined look on his face Inuryoku stepped forward, his bow ready in his hands. Waving Hikaru over, Inuyasha gave the child special instructions, "Go into the tree and show us where the boar is."

Grinning, Hikaru leapt into the tree climbing ever higher until he spotted his prey and pointed to where the animal could be found grazing in a small clearing. Signaling for him to stay in the tree, Inuyasha followed Sesshomaru and Inuryoku to the boar.

Perching at the top of a hillside, Inuryoku aimed his bow and arrow at the beast. But he was too excited to notice that he was standing on loose gravel. At the last possible moment, both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha noticed this and reached for the boy as he began to slide down the hill.

As all three fell down the hill, the boar heard the commotion and ran into the trees with speed that could not be imagined for a beast of his size. Hikaru leapt out of the tree and ran after them, tripping on the loose gravel and sliding face first down the hill.

"Well, that worked out well," Inuyasha mumbled standing up and dusting the leaves, gravel, and dirt off. Sesshomaru sat up and picked the twigs out of hair noticing that Inuryoku was sitting on the grass looking at the direction the boar had ran.

He stood up and walked over to his son, who was gazing into the trees tears brimming his eyes. He sat down next to Inuryoku and wrapped an around the child's shoulders, "What is the matter?"

"He got away," Inuryoku muttered. Sesshomaru hugged him close, "Is that all? It is early in the day and there are many more boar to track."

"Uh-huh," the child replied, still not moving from the spot. His ears drooped not believing the words of encouragement his father provided. But Sesshomaru was never one to give up and added; "It is going to take many tries before you catch your first boar. You just can't give up."

Inuryoku nodded standing up. He solemnly walked over to where Inuyasha and Hikaru were standing waiting for him.

"Um, I picked up your bow and all of the arrows," Hikaru offering them to Inuryoku. He mumbled a quiet thank you as he slung the quiver over his back and the bow over his shoulder. They continued to march through the woods silently until Inuyasha stopped and crouched on the ground.

"You see these," he explained pointing to some animal tracks on the moist ground. "These are boar tracks."

"Really," Inuryoku proclaimed kneeling next to the tracks. Inuyasha nodded, "Why don't you two follow them."

"Okay," both boys replied with glee as they cheerfully ran along the tracks. Hikaru paused, kneeling on the ground. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru stood behind Hikaru and Inuyasha asked, "What do you see there?"

"There are two of them!" Hikaru explained pointing to the two sets of tracks. Smiling, Inuyasha replied, "Yes there are two of them."

Looking up at Inuyasha and Sesshomaru as Inuryoku joined them, "Are they nearby?"

"No they are long gone," Inuyasha replied. "I just wanted you two to learn how to track. If you see anymore of these, let us know." Both boys stood up and led the way, eager to find any new tracks.

The small group hiked through the forest finding more tracks but no wild boar. Both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha could see the frustration in the boys' eyes and agreed that it would be best to stop for a break.

"I think we have been looking in all the wrong places," Sesshomaru stated as he bit into a rice ball. Swallowing the piece of dried fish he had been eating, Inuyasha asked, "So where do you think we should look?"

"There is a river nearby on the other side of the forest with lots of vegetation," he explained. "We may get lucky there." Inuryoku was quiet, listening to the talk of where to hunt next. He could only hope that he would get his chance.

Soon the group was moving again, with both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha repeatedly reminding the boys' to remain quiet in spite of their renewed excitement. It was only a matter of time before Inuryoku stopped and pointed at the ground at the fresh boar tracks. Nodding at Hikaru, Inuyasha sent him into the trees to find where the tracks went. Silently, he leapt from branch to branch spotting a lone boar.

Quickly he leapt back through the trees and landed before the group and pointed, whispering quietly "He's over there."

Placing both hands on his shoulders, Inuyasha gave Hikaru his instructions, "Good job. I want you to stay in back of us and watch so that next time you know what to do."

Nodding, Hikaru silently followed as Inuryoku got his bow and arrow ready. With the beast in sight, he aimed his bow.

"Whenever you are ready," Sesshomaru whispered. Nodding, Hikaru let the arrow fly hitting the target. But the boar was strong and ran into the forest. Inuyasha gritted his teeth, hoping that it would have been a clean shot. They would have to move fast to kill it quickly, lest it suffer needlessly.

"Hikaru, get on my back!" Inuyasha shouted as the group took to the trees to chase the animal from above. As they approached the boar, they paused on the tree limbs each was balancing on. Inuryoku got his bow and arrow ready and looked at Inuyasha on a nearby limb and pointed to where on the animal he wanted him to aim.

Biting his lip in concentration, Inuryoku aimed and let his arrow fly. This time the arrow hit the animal in the correct spot, killing it.

"Good job," Sesshomaru complemented. Standing over the boar, Inuyasha grinned, "What a good sized boar. This'll be able to feed several families."

Leaping out of the tree, Inuryoku grinned broadly, having accomplished something good. Hikaru slid off Inuyasha's back to get a closer look at the boar. Sesshomaru slung the animal over his shoulders and announced, "Let's head back, get this animal cleaned up, and go to the onsen."

It wasn't long before the group had returned to Inuyasha's house, where Kagome had laid out all that they would need to clean the animal. She smiled as she stepped out of the house, "How did it go?"

"Inuryoku got his first boar!" Inuyasha proclaimed. Smiling Inuryoku added, "I aimed my arrow just like you showed me!"

"Very good," Kagome smiled as she looked at the group. It did not take long for the boar to be cleaned and ready for cooking. Kagome packaged up the remaining portions to be shared with other families.

"C'mon boys, lets go to the onsen," Sesshomaru called to the two boys wrestling in the yard. "Let's get cleaned up."

"Okay," both boys called back running after Inuyasha and Sesshomaru as they began to walk down the cobblestone pathway towards the center of town, pushing each other slightly as they walked up the worn pathway.

"Boys!" Sesshomaru called out. Both children paused and glared at him as he spoke coldly, "Please behave."

Nodding quietly both boys followed Inuyasha and Sesshomaru into the simple wooden structure, the wood dark with age. Hikaru watched as Inuyasha remove a few coins from his kimono and pass them to the attendant.

Inside the small wooden structure were various soaps, towels, and simple cotton kimono for sale. There was a small area to store ones belongings. With their clothing and belongings neatly stored away, they headed to the spring.

The onsen was a rather large hot spring with a beautifully tended garden. A large tree provided a nice shade from the sun. A layer of steam pooled over the surface of the water as families lounged in the water.

"Whoa!" Hikaru proclaimed heading to the water. Inuyasha quickly grabbed him by the arm, "Hold on! Let's get you cleaned up first."

Inuyasha smiled as he quickly ran a soapy washcloth over Hikaru, "You don't want to ruin the water for everyone else by going in there all dirty, do you?"

Hikaru shook his head grinning, eager to get into the inviting spring water. As soon as Inuyasha poured the last bit of warm water of him, washing the last bit of soap off of him, Hikaru ran into the water.

Inuryoku, watching Hikaru jump into the water, quickly scrubbed the last bit of dirt off him and jumped in after his cousin.

"If its one thing I can't stand, its dirt," Sesshomaru said as he sank into the warm water. Inuyasha dunked his head under the water surfacing a few seconds later, "Ahh, the perfect way to end the day."

Leaning against a rock, Sesshomaru gazed at Inuryoku and Hikaru as they splashed each other in the water, "So is Hikaru going to start at the dojo soon?"

"Yes," Inuyasha replied watching the boys as well. "I think being around other children will help him." Sesshomaru watched his brother noticing the strain in his eyes and finally asked, "What troubles you little brother?"

"Hikaru," Inuyasha quietly stated. "He has yet to call me 'otousan' or Kagome 'okasan.'" Sesshomaru gazed at his brother thoughtfully and spoke quietly, "But he looks up to you. I can see it in his eyes. Give him a bit more time."

Hikaru dove under the water and emerged in front of Inuyasha. Smiling, Inuyasha asked, "Did you have fun today?" Grinning widely, exposing his small fangs, Hikaru nodded before swimming next to Inuryoku where the two boys continued to play.

Inuyasha watched the two boys, taking in what his brother had said. Sinking deeper into the water Inuyasha thoughtfully smiled, "I will give him time."

I hope the hunting scene wasn't too graphic. I kept it as short as possible and present it respectfully. It's not pretty but that is how many people the world over survive.

An onsen is a public bath that is popular in Japan. Japanese etiquette states that one must clean themselves before stepping into the water so that you don't contaminate the water for other visitors to the springs.


	22. The Temple Where The Little Ones Start

The Temple Where The Little Ones Start

Hikaru firmly gripped Kagome's hand as they entered the large dojo with its numerous rooms and studios, the burning incense providing a gentle fragrance to the rooms. In his other hand was the wooden sword Inuyasha had given him. Clutching Izayoi, Inuyasha could not help but grin as he followed them.

Today was a monumental day in Inuyasha's life, for his son was beginning his formal training in the sword, continuing a tradition his own father had initiated so long ago when he forged the tetsusaiga for him.

They walked up the stairs and led him to a small studio where Hikaru's grip on Kagome's hand grew. He had been so excited when Inuyasha told him he would be starting at the dojo, but now he was starting to grow more and more nervous. What if he was no good? What if he made a mistake? What if the other children did not like him?

"Aren't you going to be teaching the class?" Hikaru quietly queried when he noticed that Inuyasha was not going to step into the room. Inuyasha could see fear in the boy's eyes and kneeled next to him whispering softly, "This is where all children begin. Do not be afraid."

Hikaru watched as a group of three boys his age clad in the same white kimono and black hakama run into the studio laughing. Inside the studio, he could hear other children laughing and playing little games. If they were laughing, perhaps this would not be so bad after all. He pursed his lips in determination, nodded and then turned to step into the studio.

It was warm in the small studio as Hikaru waved goodbye to Kagome and tentatively stepped inside, his bare feet stepping on the tatami slowly. Through the open windows he could see down into the courtyard where Souta was chatting with a small group of girls.

"Why hello Hikaru!" A young woman with thick golden hair arranged in a large bun atop her head said to him. She was dressed in the uniform black hakama pants and white kimono that students of the school wore. But the black outer-kimono that she wore made her stand out for she was a sempai, or one of the senior students given the privilege to teach.

"Hisamari," Hikaru proclaimed loudly, remembering the young woman as the one who came to his assistance in the village square a week ago. Smiling she bent down and patted his shoulder "In here, my name is Sempai Hisamari. Why don't you lean your sword against the wall and line up with the other children." He followed her instructions and tentatively looked around the room as the children played small games with each other, fidgeting with his hands.

"Okay everyone! Form a single line!" Hisamari called out

Biting his lip, Hikaru lined up with the other students and looked around him as he stood in a line facing the sempai with ten other children all of who were clad in the white kimono and black hakama pants.

But he could not help but notice the small girl to his left with her dark hair arranged into two pigtails with large white ribbons in her hair. Her scent was different than the other children with the scent of youkai on her, but also the scent of a human. He wondered if she was perhaps a hanyou like him, but was too scared to ask.

"Taisho, Hikaru!" the young woman called out grabbing his attention. He looked at her and responded as the other students did with an enthusiastic "Hai!"

Smiling as she stood before the class, Hisamari began to clap her hands in rhythm loudly instructing them, "Okay, everyone stand an arm apart and march and swing your arms!"

The line of students began to march in a circle swung their arms in front and back and after completing a couple of circles, Hisamari began to chant, "Make big circles with your arms."

A small smile formed on Hikaru's tense lips, hoping that he was following Hisamari's instructions properly. He looked over at her from the corner of his eye watching as she clapped out a rhythm and voicing her next set of instructions, "Okay, its time for squats!"

Suddenly everyone in the circle stopped and touched their toes then squatted before standing up again and resuming their march. Hikaru clumsily followed suit, touching his toes and squatting every four steps as the class did so.

"On your hands and toes!" Hisamari called out. Obediently the class dropped to their hands and walked on their hands and toes. Hikaru bit his lip in concentration as he copied the other students.

"All right everyone lets make the circle bigger and we are gonna stretch," Hisamari exclaimed with excitement in her voice. Everyone sat down in a large circle with their feet in front of them. Smiling Hisamari further explained, "Touch your toes with your fingers!"

This was an easy task for Hikaru as he reached for his toes, his cheek resting against his knee. But as he looked over to the girl to his right, he could see the mysterious girl with the large bows in her hair was struggling to get her nose to touch her knee, grunting softly in her effort.

Hisamari then had the children spread their legs to each side and reach for the toes on their right foot, then their left foot, and finally reach straight ahead. Hikaru eyed the other students as he sat in the split, noticing that several of the other children were having difficulty with the exercise.

As the class moved to stretching by placing one leg in front of the other, Hikaru began to feel more comfortable. He smiled, finding the exercises not difficult. But he soon found himself biting his lip once again as the sempai approached the girl next to him.

"Aiko you need to relax and just hold the position for as long as you can," Hisamari soothingly offered. "This position will be easy for you soon enough." Aiko nodded and closed her eyes in concentration as Hisamari next moved on to Hikaru. She smiled and kindly spoke, "You're a flexible one aren't you."

"I, I guess so," Hikaru stammered. He had always been able to bend his body and had never thought of it as special. He looked around as most of the other children were having some bit of difficulty with the exercises. He had been in a split, with one leg in front of him and one in back of him. Gently she lifted the leg he had stretched out in front of him eliciting a soft gasp from Hikaru.

"Do you feel that?" Hisamari asked. Hikaru nodded biting his lip once more, not liking the sensation but he did not complain. Frowning softly, Hisamari kindly explained, "Nobody likes to stretch, but it is necessary."

Noticing the look of uncertainty in his face, Hisamari decided not to push him further on his first day of class. There would be plenty of time for that later. Gently setting the leg down, she leaned in closer and whispered, "Don't worry. We're all done!"

"Everyone take your wooden swords and stand in line," the Hisamari called out standing up, smiling as the children scampered to the back of the room to retrieve their swords and line up eagerly looking at her for instruction. She had the children slowly attack, stepping forward as they swung their wooden swords over their heads, calling out with each strike "Hyaa!"

She slowly walked between them, correcting little mistakes as she walked in between them. Hikaru bit his lip as she adjusted his the placement of his hands on the sword. Furrowing his brow, he vowed to not make that mistake again, concentrating as he repeated the movement. Soon the class was performing the same movement in unison.

And just has Hikaru was growing more comfortable with the movement, Sempai Hisamari was moving on to the next movement, a quick forward thrust of the sword from the abdomen. Focusing on holding the sword properly, he performed the movement when Hisamari instructed them to.

"Good work, Hikaru," Hisamari complemented as she passed him. Hikaru smiled and relaxed, ready to learn the next movement. Eagerly he watched as Hisamari swung the sword from right to left.

Smiling, she watched as the children all swung their swords, everyone putting too much swing in the movement as they loudly shouted, "Eeh!"

Patiently, she guided each child through this movement. Hikaru had practiced this movement before with Inuyasha and but was dismayed to find that Hisamari did not like the way he stepped forward.

"Take a smaller step Hikaru." Looking up at her in confusion, Hikaru whispered, "But Inuyasha said I was doing it okay."

"You were," Hisamari gently coaxed. "But you will fight better if you step this way." Hikaru nodded, hoping she was correct. Gripping his wooden sword tighter, he concentrated hoping he was doing it right. But once again, he found himself being corrected.

Quietly, Hikaru attempted the movement again and again, determined not to give up and be a failure. He wanted to be here and did not want to be sent out and was relieved when Hisamari was pleased with it.

Hisamari then instructed them on defensive moves, which were a bit more intricate. Proving her patience, the young sempai had her charges repeat these exercises again and again. Wiping the beads of sweat off his forehead Hikaru, sighed in relief, finding most of these moves rather easy.

The sempai sighed as she paired the students up to practice their attacks and defenses. He gulped as his partner stepped up to him, the girl with the large bows in her hair. Hesitantly he bowed back as she bowed to him.

As Hisamari's called for the students to practice the sequence, the girl stepped forward and swung her sword downward. But she stepped too close and Hikaru, ducked lest he got clobbered.

"Hey, watch it!" Hikaru growled shielding his head with his left arm. The little girl stepped back and pouted, "I'm…sorry."

"Um, just don't do it again," Hikaru stammered. As Hisamari called out for the pairs to practice the sequence again, the little girl moved more carefully and Hikaru gracefully returned the movement. They practiced several more times finding a rhythm to their movements, giggling as they performed the sequence perfectly.

But as the class moved onto a more difficult sequence involving attacking sideways from right to left and defending by swinging from left to right, Hikaru made a mistake. He was attacking and extending his sword too far striking his partner in the process.

"I'm sorry," Hikaru quickly offered his ears drooping. The girl was unfazed by the accident, "It's okay. You didn't mean it." Grinning, Hikaru got his sword ready to practice again. This time their swords connected with a resounding "crack."

"Cool!" both children cried as they successfully performed the sequence, moving in position to do it again. Even Hisamari was impressed, having run from pair to pair correcting mistakes to find that they had done the sequence without much instruction, "Good job guys."

Grinning, they continued to practice the sequence until Hisamari unrolled a thin mat. The little girl next to Hikaru

Hikaru looked to his right then to his left, watching as all the students closed his eyes. Finding such an exercise odd, Hikaru closed his eyes anyways.

"Take a deep breath," Hisamari gently asked of her students. "Hold it, and breathe it out slowly." She watched as the children began to calm down from their session. Finally she spoke, "Place your hands on the floor and bow."

Quietly everyone rested their hands on the floor and bowed so that their foreheads nearly touched the floor. Hikaru opened his eyes and copied the bow. Hisamari bowed low to the class and spoke kindly, "Well done! See you next time."

His brow moist with sweat, Hikaru was the first student to step out of the studio. Spotting Inuyasha and Kagome, he ran into their arms. Grinning Inuyasha asked, "So how was it?"

"It was hard but fun!" Hikaru honestly replied causing Kagome to laugh. Tentatively, Hisamari stepped out of the studio and bowed respectfully to Inuyasha and Kagome.

"So how did he do?" Kagome eagerly asked. Smiling, Hisamari responded, "He did very well. He is very flexible."

"Oh that I know," Inuyasha smiled. Inuyasha kneeled next to Hikaru and whispered in his ear. As Hikaru looked up at him expectantly, Inuyasha nodded. Slowly Hikaru laid face down on the floor and brought his legs over his head where he grabbed his ankles in front of him and his back folded in half once more.

Staring wide-eyed at Hikaru, Hisamari voiced her astonishment, "Amazing!"

Blushing wildly, Hikaru let go of his ankles and rolled to a sitting position. Laughing, Inuyasha added, "See, now that wasn't so bad."

Hikaru stood up and thoughtfully replied, "I guess not."

* * *

For some reason I had a hard time with this chapter. I wanted to make it interesting and not boring with all the instruction. I watched a bunch of kendo and kenjutsu videos on Youtube and tried to describe their kata (the premeditated movements) in the class. Any advice on how to describe sword fights would be appreciated. 


	23. Chasing the Usagi

Chasing the Usagi

(Usagi are rabbits!!!)

Stepping out of the dojo as Kagome ran to teach her class, Inuyasha and Hikaru spotted the girl with the large ribbons in her hair, although one of them had become undone and was about to be carried away by the wind when Hikaru leapt up and caught it.

"Here you go," Hikaru smiled, offering the ribbon to her. Tentatively she took the ribbon looking lost as she held it in her hand. Inuyasha kneeled next to her and asked, "What is the matter?"

"I don't know how to tie it," she pouted. Inuyasha looked over at Hikaru, "Uh, where is your mother when I need her?"

Hikaru merely shrugged, whereas the little girl looked at him hopefully. Inuyasha sighed, "Here, let me tie that for you." The little girl held still as Inuyasha slowly and carefully tied the ribbon around her pigtail, "There you are, all done!"

The girl smiled happily. And there, hidden behind the large ribbons in her hair, were a pair of smallest dog-ears that Inuyasha had ever seen, twitching in excitement. Gently pinching one, he smiled at Hikaru, "Hey, she's got ears just like yours!"

"They're so tiny!" Hikaru said pinching the other ear. The little girl, however, was not amused and pouted as she crossed her arms, "Leave my ears alone!"

"Okay, okay," Inuyasha, laughed. "What is your name?"

"Aiko Sakurai," the girl cheerfully replied. Inuyasha grinned in recognition of the name, "So you're Genji Sakurai's daughter. I bet you can already play the Shamisen!"

"Yes sir!" Aiko chirped. "And I can also play the taiko drum and dance." Leaning down to Hikaru, Inuyasha whispered in his ear, "Her parents are famous musicians."

Hikaru's eyes grew wide. Laughing, Inuyasha turned to the little girl, "Well Aiko, why don't you play with Hikaru in the garden here until your parents come to get you."

"Okay," she happily replied. Ruffling Hikaru's hair slightly, Inuyasha warned, "Don't wander too far."

"Okay," both children chirped giggling. Smiling Inuyasha added, "Hikaru, when her parents come I want you to come get me, okay?"

Hikaru nodded. Inuyasha stood up and looked down at his young charges. He smiled as he listened to Aiko talking to Hikaru.

"So is Sensei Taisho your otousan?" the girl asked. Hikaru looked over at Inuyasha who smiled and nodded encouragingly. Hikaru looked over at her and replied, "Yes, he is."

As Inuyasha turned to go back into the dojo to teach his next class, he had to pause. He could feel the emotions flowing, moisture brimming his eyes. Inuyasha and Kagome had accepted Hikaru as their son, but now it looked like Hikaru was starting to accept them as his parents.

Inuyasha smiled to himself. In another lifetime he would have scoffed at such a tirade of emotions. This was before he truly understood love. Before he allowed himself to feel. And in the sunshine, despite the tears, he felt peaceful.

But he had a class to teach. Composing himself he took one last glance as Hikaru and Aiko wandered onto the courtyard and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand as he stepped inside to teach his next class.

A group of children a few years older than Hikaru and Aiko were playing kemari, gracefully kicking the ball around the circle. They ran in all sorts of directions in an attempt to keep the ball in the air.

"What are they doing?" Hikaru asked. Aiko looked at the group and shrugged. Loosing interest in the game, Hikaru added, "This is boring. Let's go."

The two children wandered back to the dojo where they peeked through the large shoji windows opened to allow fresh air to flow into the studios.

Bodies that were not meant to move a certain way were being groomed. A row of children was bent over next to the wall, their fingers gripping a bar above their heads. Atop their shoulders stood their classmates, attempting to increase the flexibility of their shoulders for sword work. Both Hikaru and Aiko gulped for it did not look like fun.

"Okay, we're done," the sempai, announced as the children jumped off their classmates' shoulders. Standing up straight as the weight was lifted off his shoulders, Inuryoku stood up and turned around wincing as he rotated his arm. But as he spotted Hikaru through the window, he grinned and formed a peace sign with his right hand.

Hikaru grinned and waved back. Inuryoku did not appear to be hurt. Aiko asked, "Who is that?"

"That is my cousin Inuryoku."

"Is that what we are going to have to do?" Aiko asked. Hikaru nodded, "Inuryoku says that this is one of the best schools in all of Japan."

They watched as the children lined up to practice an impressive attack, leaping through the air as they thrust their swords forward. Hikaru and Aiko could only watch in amazement, their jaws wide open.

"I want to do that!" Hikaru proclaimed. Grinning, Aiko added, "Me too." The two children watched the class move on to several more impressive attacks. Pursing his lips, Hikaru found himself vowing to work hard so one day he could fight like them.

But the children soon grew tired of _watching_ the students train and wanted to _do_ something instead. Turning to Aiko, Hikaru stated, "C'mon."

Hikaru led Aiko into the courtyard and through the gate, but she would go no further, "We can't go in there."

"Why not?" Hikaru queried pushing the gate open. "I live here." Quietly Aiko followed Hikaru through the gate and across the stepping-stones and onto the curved bridge.

"How many fish do you have?" Aiko asked looked down into the pond below the bridge at the colorful koi fish.

"Fifteen," Hikaru proudly explained pointing to a couple of the fish, "That one is named Akaippin, and that one is Hisui. I named them!"

"They're very pretty," Aiko commented admiring the fish. Spying a dead leaf floating on the surface, Hikaru ran down the bridge and leaned over the over and retrieved the leaf explaining, "Otousan says that this can hurt the fish."

Aiko squatted next to the pond watching as the fish quickly swam about in the water. Hikaru grabbed her by the arm, "C'mon lets go inside." Hikaru led Aiko into the house finding it empty. Spying a glass jar on the low table filled with colorful sugar candy, Hikaru opened it, "Want some konpeito?"

"Sure," Aiko replied holding out her hand as Hikaru filled it with colorful sugar candy. She ate the candy as followed him through the house, finding it empty, and out to the clearing in the back of the house. Hikaru found a ball and tossed it to Aiko, who caught it giggling.

Gleefully, the children tossed the ball back and forth to each other, swinging it high or low to make it difficult to catch. Aiko swung the ball high and Hikaru leapt into the air to catch it. Landing gracefully on the ground, he smirked at Aiko as a peculiar scent reached his nose.

"Eh?" Hikaru queried as he jerked his head towards some shrubbery. Aiko ran next to him, "What is it?"

"A rabbit," Hikaru firmly stated dropping the ball. "Let's get it."

"Okay," Aiko replied as the two children crouched before the shrubbery. Hikaru leaned forward before pouncing. He chased after the rabbit with Aiko following close behind going deeper and deeper into the forest. But the rabbit, familiar with this territory, quickly outran the children and was nowhere to be seen.

"She's gone!" Hikaru huffed. Aiko was quiet as she slowly backed into him, "Uh, Hikaru."

"What!" Hikaru quietly replied turning around. Aiko merely pointed to a large youkai tiger sniffing at the ground a mere few meters from them. As Hikaru turned around, his foot stepped on a dry twig, snapping it in half. The tiger growled and looked directly at them, baring its fangs.

Both children clung to each other and screamed at the sight of the youkai tiger. Hikaru's feet just wouldn't budge as he stared at the approaching cat. But in his panic, he realized that if they didn't move they would become that cat's lunch!

"Aiko, we have to get out of here!" Hikaru shouted. Both children bolted as they leapt out of the way of the pouncing tiger that landed gracefully where they had been standing mere moments earlier.

"Follow me!" Aiko called out as she quickly leapt through the trees. Hikaru frowned, feeling something stir in him, urging him to do something. He felt his body crouch and leapt after her. The two children moved through the trees in a zigzag pattern, panting heavily from fear and exertion as they kept ahead of the tiger.

Suddenly an arrow shot out of nowhere and hit the trunk of a large tree right in front of the cat, causing the animal to stop in its tracks. Hikaru and Aiko turned to the source of the arrow to see Mayumi standing there a bow in her right hand, "Children, hurry back to the house!"

Nodding, Hikaru and Aiko ran through the thicket of trees to the clearing in back of the house, collapsing onto the grass and panting heavily.

"Are you two alright?" Mayumi breathlessly asked with hesitancy in her voice. The two children numbly nodded. Looking up at his aunt, Hikaru hesitantly asked, "Is he? Is he dead?"

"It's a she," Mayumi kindly explained. "And she is not dead. I merely scared her off." Looking at the two frightened children she quickly offered, "C'mon inside. I'll fix you guys something to eat."

With steaming cups of tea set before them Hikaru and Aiko began to calm down watching as Mayumi moved around the kitchen. They smiled as Mayumi set small square plates of rice balls filled with steamed fish before them, "There you are."

Hikaru and Aiko eagerly began to eat. Mayumi sat down across from them with a cup of tea and merely smiled as the two children devoured their meal. After they had finished most of their food she kindly spoke, "What were you two doing in the forest alone?"

Refusing to make eye contact, Hikaru looked down at his half eaten rice ball and spoke softly, "We were chasing rabbits."

"The both of you should know that the forest is dangerous, especially for ones as young as you two." Hikaru and Aiko nodded looking down at their laps.

The sound of the front door sliding open did not cause the children to stir. Nor did the sound of footsteps deter them from their gaze on their laps. Hikaru could smell Inuyasha's scent and knew he was in the room but he could not look him in the eye.

"There you are!" Inuyasha announced. Reluctantly both children looked up. "We've been looking all over for the two of you."

"Aiko!" a new voice called. Aiko looked up at the human man with long hair tied high on his head and replied with uncertainty in her voice, "Otousan."

"These two have had their own little adventure in the forest," Mayumi explained. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, "Oh really."

Hikaru nodded and looking down he spoke softly, "We were chasing rabbits and we followed them into the forest."

"And what happened?" Inuyasha inquired. Hikaru spoke barely audibly, "We ran into a tiger youkai."

"I had taken Izayoi and Mika for a short walk and had returned and put them both down for naps when I noticed a candy jar left open and the door leading to the back yard open Luckily for them, I grabbed Kagome's bow and arrows and followed their scent, where I found them being chased by a tiger youkai. But I was able to scare the tiger away."

"Thank goodness they are alright," Aiko's father muttered rushing to her side and embracing her. "Don't ever do that again."

"I won't," Aiko mumbled. Releasing her from the embrace and holding her at arms length, "Let's go home."

Hikaru slowly followed behind as Inuyasha escorted Aiko and her father out, listening as Inuyasha apologized for the confusion. He waved as Aiko turned around to smile at him as her father led her through the garden and out the gate.

He turned to look at Inuyasha, who bore a strange look on his face. Was he angry with him? Was he disappointed in him? He slumped his shoulders and wandered outside to sit on the back porch to await his fate.

As he watched Hikaru wander outside, Inuyasha felt conflicted. Should he be punished for defying his orders? And if so, how? His previous guardians had beaten the child regularly for no particular reason.

Mayumi noticed the tension in Inuyasha's face and slowly approached him; "You should go talk to him."

"And say what?" Inuyasha was truly at a loss for words. Mayumi rested her hand on his shoulder, "Explain what he did was wrong, but you need to remind him that you still love him."

Nodding, Inuyasha walked over to Hikaru and led him outside where he sat next to Hikaru on the porch and pulled him onto his lap, noticing how the child stiffened in his arms.

"Hikaru, why did you run off without telling me first?" Inuyasha calmly explained.

"I dunno," Hikaru replied looking down at his lap. Inuyasha sighed and with heaviness in his voice began to speak, "When I couldn't find you or Aiko I got scared. I was afraid something bad happened to you."

"You were?" Hikaru asked. Hugging Hikaru close Inuyasha whispered in his son's ear, "And if something bad happened to you I would be very sad."

Hikaru nodded as he continued to look down. And for a moment, neither one spoke. Both Hikaru and Inuyasha turned around at the sound of the shoji door sliding open and a hysterical Kagome running onto the back porch, "Oh my goodness! Hikaru are you alright?"

"Um, yes," the child quietly replied. Kagome sat down next to Inuyasha and Kagome and looked at him sternly, "What were you thinking? Going into the forest like that!"

"They were chasing rabbits," Inuyasha calmly stated resting a hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"Rabbits! Rabbits!" Kagome said quickly. Hikaru nodded and spoke so quietly he was barely audible, "I'm sorry."

"We still love you very much," Inuyasha explained. "But I told you not to wander too far from the dojo."

"I know," Hikaru, sighed his shoulders slumping. Kagome leaned next to Inuyasha and wrapped an arm around Hikaru, "We have rules to protect you, understand?"

A short nod from Hikaru was the only response she got. Hikaru continued to look down at his lap for a long while before looking straight ahead at the forest.

"Hikaru, you are going to have to do penance for this, okay?" Kagome calmly explained.

"Penance," Hikaru stated not understanding the word. Kagome cupped Hikaru's cheek, "You need to do something to make up for what you did." Inuyasha and Kagome watched as Hikaru nodded then yawned widely.

"What do I have to do?" Hikaru asked yawning again. Kagome paused for a moment thinking of an appropriate penance before she spoke, "I think pulling weeds from my herb garden should be enough."

"Yuck!" Hikaru sneered. "That's not fun!" Both Inuyasha and Kagome chuckled as Inuyasha explained, "It's not supposed to be fun. It's supposed to teach you a lesson."

"But first I think its time for your afternoon nap," Kagome announced as Inuyasha quickly stood up scooping Hikaru up in his arms and swinging him around earning a squeal of laughter from the child. As Kagome followed him, Inuyasha carried Hikaru to his room and gently laid him on his futon.

"Mayumi will be here all afternoon if you need anything," Kagome explained brushing the growing strands of hair out of his face.

"Okay," Hikaru replied as he yawned once more, the excitement of the day catching up to him. Inuyasha and Kagome were quiet as the left the room and shut the door behind them.

* * *

Sorry for the delay. Anime Expo sort of got in the way. I had so much fun and even got an actual animation cell from Inuyasha. I was nearly shaking when I got it. I didn't cosplay but I wore a kimono-which took forever to put on and was very, very, very hot!

Hikaru is actually inspired by a real person. I teach gymnastics (some of my training scenes reflect that) and we have an eleven-year-old girl adopted from an orphanage in Russia two years ago. She is still rather tentative, like Hikaru, but every day she is growing more friendly and talkative. It's amazing how our childhoods shape us.

Konpeito is colored sugar candy. That is the colorful candy that was fed to the little Soot Balls in _Spirited Away._


	24. Penance & Redemption

Penance & Redemption

Hikaru wiped his brow, as he pulled at a particularly well-rooted weed in the herb garden careful not to step on any of the small plants that Kagome had so carefully tended to. Finally the root came loose, and the offending weed was pulled out of the earth and tossed into a basket.

Adjusting the cone shaped hat made of woven bamboo on his head before moving to the next batch of weeds, Hikaru sighed loudly. This was not fun. And despite the large hat and the long sleeves of his kimono tied up exposing his thin arms, it was unbearably hot. Kagome was nearby trimming a small shrub watching the small child work.

"I'm never going into the forest again?" Hikaru grumbled. Kagome smiled, "I'm sure you'll go into the forest again-just not by yourself!"

Hikaru shuddered clutching his hands to his chest, "That tiger youkai was scary! I thought I was a goner."

"Oh Hikaru, you must have been so frightened," Kagome spoke as she scooted next to Hikaru and hugged him. He relaxed in her arms but said nothing as Kagome added, "But you're safe now and you've learned your lesson! One day you will know how to take care of yourself in the forest, but until then listen to me or your father." Hikaru nodded as Kagome hugged him tighter.

Kagome looked at the herb garden admiring his work, "I think that is the last of it."

"Really?" Hikaru smiled as Kagome released from for her hug. Hikaru grinned as he watched Kagome take his basket and followed her to a remote part of the yard, "What are you going to do with those weeds?"

"We're going to reuse them," Kagome explained as she poured the weeds into a large wooden box. "Eventually this will become soil that I can use to grow more herbs."

"What are the herbs for?" Hikaru asked, wondering why Kagome took such careful care of these plants.

"Some are for medicines, for when you hurt or get sick that make you feel better. Others can be used to keep insects away. And some are for cooking to make your food taste better," Kagome explained. Looking down at Hikaru, she got an idea, "Go get your naginata!"

"Okay," Hikaru huffed running into the house to retrieve is naginata and returning with a large grin on his face. Smiling Kagome quickly spoke, "Run!"

In a flash he took off running, encircling the large yard as his cone shaped hat flew off his head. Kagome followed close behind watching his movements. Pleased with how much stronger he was, Kagome had them circle the yard several more times before they tumbled onto the grass laughing.

She was pleasantly surprised to watch him sit on the ground and roll onto his stomach and swung his legs over his head. Kagome lay down on the grass in front of him and grabbed one of his toes, "Are you showing off?"

Hikaru laughed as he pulled his foot back, "I ain't showing off!" Kagome laughed and let go of his toes as he swung his leg back and sat up, crossing his arms and pouting, muttering a soft "feh."

Kagome froze and looked at Hikaru, a look of astonishment on her face for he was taking on some of Inuyasha's more famous traits. He glanced over at Kagome and quietly spoke, "What is wrong?"

"Uh nothing," Kagome smiled as she snapped out of her reverie. "Let's have some fun."

It was evident that the care that Inuyasha and Kagome provided Hikaru was indeed growing stronger, evident in the simple exercises they began with. But there was something else different about Hikaru. His eyes had a spark in them she had not seen before as he concentrated on his movements. And he was performing them beautifully, never once complaining as Kagome asked him to do the movement again.

Kagome began to wonder as the sensei and coach in her began to think. Perhaps Hikaru would one day become her next champion.

Inuaysha had won the Suzuma Tournament five times in a row, creating a stir the first time he won. He was a hanyou, and hanyou were not expected to win such tournaments. The Suzuma Tournament was a series of competitions amongst youkai established in an era of solidarity and peace as humans began to take hold of the land.

During their first year in their new life outside of Tokyo, Rinjihoshi had been hosting the competition. Inuyasha had entered the kenjutsu competition on a whim, eager to test all that he had learned under Sensei Ryu against youkai who had trained with katana since they were small. To everyone's surprise, Inuyasha had won. The resulting fame was unnerving for Inuyasha, who found the attention at first uncomfortable and a bit embarrassing.

But Inuyasha was not the only member of the Taisho Dojo to do well. There were soon to be other students who would do well at various tournaments across Japan. The notoriety of such accomplishments still made Inuyasha feel uncomfortable.

But as she gazed at Hikaru she suddenly thought of all the people pushed to do things they did not want to do. It would be Hikaru's choice after all, and she would help him no matter what.

Taking their wooden practice naginata in their hands, Kagome moved through exercise after exercise, soon moving onto simple sparring. Much to her delight, she found that Hikaru handled the weapon exceptionally well. However, Hikaru was having difficulty with a downward strike with the long sword. With sweat beading on his forehead, Hikaru soon was growing frustrated.

"It's okay if you don't get this today," Kagome coaxed. But Hikaru would have none of it and looked away, "No its not."

Kneeling before him, Kagome softly spoke, "This is really hard stuff. I don't expect you to get it right away."

"But I want to," Hikaru whined.

"Hikaru! Why are you pushing yourself?" Kagome asked. What Hikaru said next she was not expecting, "I want to be strong! I don't want them to hurt me again!"

"You will be strong," Kagome softly spoke as she knelt next to Hikaru fully aware of what he was referring to, the foul treatment of his previous guardians. "But you must be patient. And your father and I will protect you."

Hikaru stood there not saying or doing anything as Kagome hugged him. Kagome closed her eyes and tried to find the right words to soothe the child, "Hikaru-chan your home is here with us. We love you and will do anything to keep you safe and happy."

"I really wanted to learn that," Hikaru explained looking lost. Kagome smiled, "There have been lots of times that I have had a hard time learning how to do something. It has taken me weeks to learn a single move. You just can't give up and must try and try again until you get it not matter how long it takes. So you won't get it today, but maybe you will tomorrow or the day after."

"Okay," Hikaru replied not looking convinced. Taking the discarded hat, Kagome returned it to Hikaru's head, laying it on crookedly.

"Hey!" Hikaru huffed straightening the hat on his head as a small smile began to form on his lips. Kagome had decided that the lesson for the day was essentially over and leaned down so that she was forehead to forehead with Hikaru, "Hey, lets get something to eat!"

Hikaru quickly drank his melon juice, happy to be out of the relentlessly hot sunshine, but still angry that he could not learn the movement. But his stomach was hungry from all the activity that morning and quickly ate the rolled omelet Kagome had prepared wondering what she was up to as she ran to the front of the house.

"Hikaru!" Kagome called out as she ran back into the house. Hikaru looked up at Kagome with a bewildered look on his face.

"I just received a message from Aiko," Kagome announced. "How would you like to go the her house today?"

Hikaru nodded and finished his juice. Kagome quickly had him in a new pair of clothes and had Izayoi securely on her back. Soon they were out the door. Clutching Kagome's hand tightly, Hikaru could not contain his excitement. He walked ahead of Kagome who laughed at his antics, "Hey slow down! We'll be there soon enough."

"Keh," Hikaru replied as they walked down a shady tree lined walkway, their wooden sandals making a soft "click-clack" sound on the cobblestones. Soon they were climbing a small row of about five or six steps and down a long narrow pathway lined with lush trees.

Under the shade of an awning, Aiko was dutifully dancing a traditional piece as her mother, kneeling near her, plucked the strings of her shamisen, a three stringed instrument with a long thin neck that looked like a guitar. She finished her dance and smiled as Kagome and Hikaru clapped.

"Well done!" Kagome announced. Aiko glanced at her mother who nodded encouragingly then looked at Kagome bowing low, "Thank you Sensei."

"Thank you for bringing Hikaru over," Aiko's mother kindly spoke. "We'll take him home later."

"Oh thank you," Kagome smiled. Leaning down she whispered to him, "Have fun Hikaru-chan. Be good."

"Okay," he quietly replied as Kagome kissed him on the forehead and watched as she walked down the narrow walkway. Once Kagome had left, Hikaru felt a bit uneasy. Never before had he been at another person's home. Grabbing his hand, Aiko squealed, "Do you want to see my shamisen?"

"Sure," he replied kneeling next to her as she thrust the instrument in his hands.

"You hold the strings down with the tips of your claws and you pluck the strings with this," Aiko explained positioning his left hand over the neck of the shamisen and shoving a thin piece of wood in his right hand.

"Aiko dear, I don't think Hikaru is interested in playing that," Lady Sakurai said laughing.

"Okasan, I just want to show him" Aiko whined. Hikaru looked at her as she spoke that word, _okasan_. Perhaps tonight he would use that word.

"Alright dear," Lady Sakurai replied, pulling Hikaru out of his thoughts. Aiko moved his hand with the thin piece of wood over a string and order him to pluck. He followed suit smiling at Aiko and Lady Sakurai.

"Very good," Lady Sakurai complemented. Hikaru smiled as he looked down at the floor. Soon Hikaru was plucking out a simple tune much to Aiko's delight. But Lady Sakurai had plans for the children.

"If we don't get moving, we won't be able to see the ruins of the old Tsukahara castle!"

Both children glanced at her excitedly, the shamisen quickly forgotten. Smiling, Lady Sakurai instructed her daughter, "Aiko, why don't you pack up your shamisen and we can go!"

Smiling, Aiko quickly disassembled the shamisen and packed it into its box and ran inside with it before returning to the porch. The children eagerly followed as Lady Sakurai led them up a trail that Hikaru had never seen before heavily lined with tall trees from which the strange calls of unfamiliar birds could be heard and small monkeys could be seen playing in the tall branches.

Hikaru paused to gaze at the monkeys, wondering what sort of strange animal they were. These were not youkai, he could tell, but they were most unusual as they leapt from branch to branch shrieking wildly. Lady Sakurai and Aiko paused curious at what had captured Hikaru's attention, but it was the small girl that called out, "What are you looking at?"

"Those weird animals!" Hikaru replied pointing into the trees. A look of bewilderment came onto Aiko's face as she replied, "They're just monkeys."

"I don't think he has ever seen one before," Lady Sakurai whispered to her daughter as she gazed at Hikaru. Stepping closer to him, she explained, "Those are called monkeys. They like to travel in groups and stay in tall trees. Mostly harmless although they can be a nuisance."

"A nuisance?" Hikaru pondered out loud. He looked over at the monkeys and watched as they began to throw small twigs at the small group of spectators.

"C'mon let's get moving!" Lady Sakurai cooed.

Taking one last look at the monkeys, Hikaru quickly followed Lady Sakurai and Aiko up the trail gasping as his eyes fell upon an ancient castle that mostly lay in ruins. There was a large koi pond nearby that appeared to have been carefully tended where numerous large and colorful fish swam under the gaze of a large moss covered statue of Buddha.

"There as so many!" Hikaru grinned looking into the pond. "And they're so big!"

"I can't count them all!" Aiko added. Removing a small pouch from her kimono, Lady Sakurai threw some small grains into the pond to which the fish excitedly swam towards splashing them as they knelt next to the pool. Aiko and Hikaru took turns throwing the grains into the pond while trying to avoid the splashing water as the fish scampered to the food.

Once all the food had been devoured, Lady Sakurai led them to the ruins. Many of the cobblestones had been worn away and were jagged making walking over them in wooden sandals difficult. Into a stone wall, in ancient writing, a passage had been carved.

"What does it say?" Hikaru asked. Lady Sakurai ran her fingers over it, "This form of writing is so old, no one knows what it says anymore."

"I bet it's a spell," Aiko announced. Hikaru frowned and added, "I think it's a warning."

"A warning?" Aiko queried. Nodding, Hikaru explained, "It is a warning to enemies. To stay away!" Crossing her arms, Aiko muttered, "I don't think so!"

"Children," Lady Sakurai added stopping a potential argument, "Let's go into the courtyard." The two children clumsily ran ahead of her on the uneven cobblestones, their geta making loud "clop" "clop" sounds on the stones and into the courtyard where a large rock garden could be found. Lady Sakurai ran after them smiling as she spotted them over a small bridge looking down at an unusual statue.

The statue was of a large dog with unusual marking engraved onto its face. Unlike an ordinary dog, it had unusual cat like eyes. The dog had been originally painted white; only a few flecks of it still clung to the statue. And most peculiarly, the eyes were painted familiar amber. Hikaru gazed at the statue, finding something strangely familiar about it.

"He was a powerful youkai," Hikaru whispered.

"Yes he was," Lady Sakurai stated. "But no one knows who he was." A soft breeze blew through the courtyard. Hikaru closed his eyes and tilted his head back enjoying the feel of the wind against his skin. He opened his eyes to find that Aiko was at the edge of the garden admiring a statue of a warrior holding a long spear with a blade at the end of it.

"That's cool," Aiko commented. Grinning Hikaru explained, "That's a naginata."

"Has your mother taught you how to use a naginata yet?" Nodding Hikaru quietly replied, "But I'm not very good."

"It takes many years to learn how to use a sword properly, especially one bigger than you! You will do well in due time."

"I hope so," Hikaru muttered as he gazed at the stone sword. But the ruins held more mystery and the children delighted at the worn statues and other oddities. They found an old well that had yet to run dry. Aiko turned to her mother, "Is this the well to make wishes."

"Yes it is," Lady Sakurai smiled handing out two small coins to the children. Looking down into the depths of the well, Hikaru asked, "What do we do?"

"You throw the coin in and make a wish!" Aiko explained. "But you can't tell anyone or the wish will not come true!"

Hikaru watched as Aiko tossed the coin into the well. He closed his eyes and thought of his wish, carefully throwing the coin and his innermost secrets and hopes into the well.

Silently the children followed her down a trail to a small market where she bought them some sweet buns. Grinning the children quickly ate their treats before a butterfly caught their attention and began in pursuit of it.

Laughing as the butterfly flew away, Lady Sakurai called out, "C'mon children. We have to get Hikaru home."

"Hikaru," Lady Sakurai asked as they walked to the Taisho household, "Did you have fun today?"

Grinning, Hikaru nodded, "yes."

"Good," Lady Sakurai replied. "We look forward to inviting you again."

Later that evening, Inuyasha smiled as Hikaru crossed his arms pouting from his stance in the middle of the bathroom.

"Why do I have to take a bath? I took one last night," Hikaru complained as he stood on the slatted cedar boards that lined the floor of the bathing quarters. Fragrant cedar lined the walls and the ceiling as steam floated above the water of a large cedar bathtub built into the floor of the family onsen.

"Because between last night and tonight you got dirty and even youkai children need to take baths," Inuyasha smiled pulling off Hikaru's kimono, recalling his own arguments with his mother about bathing. He sat down on a small wooden stool and smiled as Hikaru did so as well.

Filling a small wooden basin with warm water, Inuyasha gently poured it over Hikaru. The hanyou child began to laugh as Inuyasha worked the apple-scented shampoo through his hair, tickling his ears in the process.

"Okay, now rub it in." Inuyasha smiled as he watched Hikaru clumsily run his fingers through his hair while he lathered up his own hair.

"Close your eyes!" Hikaru did as he was told and felt the warm water wash the suds out of his hair.

"Are you going to put that other gunk in my hair too?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha sighed laughing. "Your okasan insists and what she says goes." Hikaru frowned deep in thought as Inuyasha applied the conditioner to his hair.

"Okasan sure is weird," Hikaru finally said with childish exaggeration, the only conclusion he could come up with. Inuyasha paused with a large chunk of his own hair in his hands. This was the first time he ever called Kagome 'mama.'

"Yeah, she is weird, but she is very nice too," Inuyasha said leaning over him a little as he grabbed a washcloth. He smiled as he watched Hikaru nod in agreement and grabbing a washcloth of his own do the same as he copied him out of the corner of his eye, scrubbing the left half of his body before moving to the right half.

"All clean?" Inuyasha asked, to which the child eagerly nodded.

"What about your back?" Hikaru's face contorted in thought as he looked at the floor.

"Um, I can't reach it." Hikaru's eyes were filled with worry.

"Don't worry, I got it," Inuyasha said laughing, taking the cloth out of Hikaru's hand. Taking the cedar basin in his hands, Inuyasha smiled as he poured more water over Hikaru, "Lets get the rest of the soap off."

Grinning, Hikaru took the cedar basin filled it with water and splashed the water onto Inuyasha, most of it landing on the wall. Looking at his arms Inuyasha added, "I still got soap all over me."

"Okay," Hikaru smiled taking another basinful of water and pouring it over Inuyasha before refilling it again and pouring more water onto him.

"Okay, I think you got all the soap off!" Inuyasha said laughing, standing up to take the wooden basin from Hikaru's hands, noticing the water on the walls. He would have to clean that up before Kagome came in.

"Hold your arms out!" Inuyasha then picked up the child and carefully set him into the water.

"There, doesn't that feel better?" Inuyasha asked entering the tub as well. Hikaru laughed as he carefully dove under the water and surfaced again. Leaning against the wall of the bathtub, Inuyasha relaxed as he watched his young charge play in the water.

Creating small waves on the surface of the water with his hands, Hikaru quietly spoke, "Otousan."

Inuyasha felt his heart skip a beat as he sat up in the water, "Yes."

"Okasan is human but she is not like other humans is she?" Hikaru asked. Speaking softly, Inuyasha explained, "No she's not. She can do things that no ordinary human can not like fight evil spirits and ghosts and bad youkai."

"Oh," was the stunned reply. There was more that Inuyasha had to say, though, as he had noticed a change since they first arrived in Rinjihoshi. She wasn't just stronger physically, but she also appeared more confident. Smiling, Inuyasha added, "Your okasan is one of the strongest humans around.

"Cool," Hikaru proclaimed, smiling at that. He glided backwards in the water looking up at the ceiling with a wistful look in his eyes, "Will I ever be strong?"

"One day you will," was Inuyasha's reply. "But you must work hard and listen to your sensei."

"I will," Hikaru smiled, enjoying the warm water. Watching him carefully, Inuyasha quietly spoke, "Hikaru-chan, when I was your age my mother sent me to a temple where I was taught to read and write. And your mother and I think it would be good for you to learn to read as well. So we were planning to send you to a temple as well."

Hikaru hugged his chest and looked down at the water. Inuyasha could see the muscles of his face tighten and could hear the child's heart beat faster. Moving closer to Hikaru, he gently asked, "What is the matter?"

"You are going to send me away." It was more a statement than a question, barely audible and spoken with a shaky voice. Bewildered, Inuyasha asked, "What are you talking about?"

Refusing to look at Inuyasha, Hikaru blurted out loud, "You are going to send me away to that temple!" Inuyasha's eyes grew large as he understood what had gotten Hikaru so upset.

"It's just like going to the dojo," Inuyasha explained. "You go to the temple for your lesson and when you are finished, you come back home."

"Is it fun?" Hikaru asked, looking at Inuyasha. Nodding, Inuyasha added, "And all your friends from the dojo will be there."

"They will!" The ears on Hikaru's head had perked up and a smile had returned to his face.

In the dining room, Kagome was enjoying tea at the low table on the floor. Across from her seated at the table was Ayume, delighted to hear of the little boy she rescued. Kagome was animatedly talking of all that had happened since Hikaru arrived in their home, growing more excited of his exploits with mastering the sword.

"I can't believe you put a sword in his hands already," Ayume laughed sipping her tea. Leaning forward Kagome quickly responded, "But that is when he opened up. I mean really began to feel comfortable around us."

Ayume could not help but smile as Kagome continued to explain, "I have taught many students, but I have never seen such talent and ability as I have seen in Hikaru. He has a drive to really want to learn how to use the sword. Its almost inspiring."

"I'm so glad," Ayume smiled. Kagome looked at her as a serious thought crossed her mind, "And what happened to all the records your agency has on Hikaru?"

Smiling coyly, Ayume replied, "I've left a complicated paper trail so no one will know where he is."

"Won't you get in trouble," Kagome whispered. Shaking her head, Ayume explained, "Coincidentally, my name is only mentioned once in the reports and we have had so many new cases that it will look like a misfile if anything."

Inuyasha stepped into the kitchen with Hikaru wrapped in a large towel in his arms. Ayume smiled at the sight of the smiling boy, whose skin was smooth and free of any bruises and eyes shown with happiness as he giggled. However at the sight of Ayume, Hikaru froze as he gazed at her with uncertainty.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha whispered. Hikaru looked at Inuyasha with uncertainty in his eyes, "I don't want to go."

"Go where?"

"That lady is from that awful place." Realization dawned on Inuyasha's face. He then looked at Hikaru and smiled, "You are not going anywhere. She is the one who told us to get you from that place."

Hikaru nodded as he looked at Ayume. With a smile Inuyasha whispered in the boy's ear as he walked to Kagome, "What did you want to say?" Kagome was smiling as she watched the two, wondering what all the whispering had been about.

"I love you okasan. Good night," he whispered as he hugged Kagome while still in Inuyasha's firm grip.

"Good night, Hikaru. Sweet dreams." Kagome hugged him back but could not contain her tears that slid down her cheeks, "Good night Hikaru-chan."

"Did I do something bad?" Hikaru managed to ask despite the fingers he placed between his lips.

"No, you did nothing wrong," Inuyasha quickly said, trying to calm the child to no avail. "It's just that your mother is like a faucet. Her eyes leak a lot."

"Oh so she's not mad at me."

With gentleness in his voice Inuyasha spoke kindly "No, you made her very happy so she was crying. Sometimes people cry when they are happy."

"That's silly."

"Yes it's silly," Inuyasha agreed. "Let's get you to bed."

"Okay," Hikaru agreed. Kagome smiled a toothless grin as she watched Inuyasha carry Hikaru out of the room, wiping the tears from her face with the back of her hand.

"I'm sorry," Kagome whispered. "Sometimes I get so emotional."

Ayume smiled, feeling like a fairy that had granted the most desperate of wishes, for she had pieced together a family.


	25. The Tera Koya

The Tera Koya

"Got your sandals and your hat?" Inuyasha loudly announced as he entered the garden. It had rained the previous evening, coating the plants and bridge in a soft dew. Hikaru sat on his heels before the pond careful not to get the flowing blue hakama pants students were required to wear wet, his eyes fixated on the colorful fish.

He stood up and turned towards Inuyasha and nodded, the voluminous hakama pants softly swaying around him. He smiled and looked up at Inuyasha through the rim of his cone shaped bamboo hat as a small backpack was slung onto his shoulders.

Inuyasha gazed at him, admiring at how smart he looked in his gray kimono and blue hakama with his pristine white tabi socks and pale wood sandals, "You ready to go?"

"Uh huh," Hikaru nervously replied taking Inuyasha's hand and walking close to him for comfort. The pair quickly left the garden and passed through the gate and after crossing the courtyard made their way onto the street.

"Is the temple fun?"

"It's called Tera Koya," Inuyasha stated. "The temple where you will begin your studies."

Inuyasha inwardly smirked. His own experiences at the place where he learned to read, although brief, were not so pleasant. He was the only hanyou amongst human boys, a fact he had been constantly reminded of. Hikaru would be going to a place with other youkai and hanyou children and Inuyasha could only hope his experiences would be different.

"But will it be fun?" Hikaru queried, the familiar feeling of his instincts telling him to run home. But he was with Inuyasha, and Inuyasha would protect him. Inuyasha smiled at Hikaru's childlike devotion to play, oblivious to his explanation.

"Yes! It's where you get to play with other children and learn all sorts of things, like how to read and write. And some of your friends from the dojo will be there." Hikaru smiled slightly, hopeful that Aiko would be there.

Hikaru was quiet as they passed through the long cobblestone walkway under a canopy of lush trees that barely allowed sunlight to filter through. He watched as other children dressed in garments just like his scamper down the walkway. Feeling the butterflies in his stomach, Hikaru hitched his breath.

Inuyasha paused and let go of Hikaru's hand, rubbing his back in encouragement. Leaning down, he whispered, "It's okay to be nervous when embarking on a new adventure!"

Looking down at his feet, Hikaru traced the outline of a cobblestone with the edge of his wooden sandal. Inuyasha then kneeled in front of Hikaru and taking him by the shoulders offered more encouragement, "I have a secret to tell you."

"You do?"

Inuyasha nodded and grinned, "I get scared sometimes too. But I tell myself to be brave and the adventure is not really scary at all. Do you think you could be brave?"

Hikaru frowned and nodded, a bit of determination creeping onto his face. Inuyasha patted his shoulder reassuringly and smiled as he took Hikaru's hand, noticing the firmness in the grip and feeling a bit of pride at his son's bravery.

Up ahead, Inuyasha caught sight as a tall thin man walked towards them on the walkway. He recognized this man, a former student of the dojo, and a rising star in the Guard, the youkai assigned to protect Rinjihoshi for centuries. So cunning were their skill, Rinjihoshi has remained a secret to samurai, humans, and even to some youkai for centuries.

Frowning slightly, Inuyasha tensed as the tall youkai with delicate features and blonde hair tied atop his head approached him from the distance. He was clad in a fine gray kimono with auspicious characters engraved in the silk and his flowing dark blue hakama pants were tucked into his split toe socks-the uniform of the Guard. Attached to his waist was a single katana in a simple sheathe, a symbol of his low rank.

A katana is viewed as an extension of a warrior's soul. As one progresses through the Guard, the sheath slowly becomes more elaborate. Eventually the youkai is given the honor of a second sword, this one imbued with powerful magic.

As the youkai approached him, Inuyasha could see conflict draped across his face, "Ah Inuyasha, just the person I want to see."

"Is that so, Daiki" Inuyasha coolly replied as he eyed the man. While skilled in the dojo, he had found difficulty in proving himself in the guard. Consequently, he had sought out Inuyasha for guidance. Inuyasha, however, found him ill suited for the discipline required of the guard but merely dropped vague hints hoping the young man would find a more suitable occupation.

Crossing his arms, the man looked at Inuyasha with a now unreadable expression on his face, "Yes it is. I've been wanting to talk to you about your duty."

Raising an eyebrow, Inuyasha looked at him, "My duty?"

"Yes, your duty to this community," the man calmly stated. Inuyasha's raised eyebrow turned into a frown, "You and I both know that the guard is more than capable of keeping Rinjihoshi safe!"

"But the guard could use your skill!" the man protested. Inuyasha took a step forward and growled, "I have trained and supported the guard for many years!"

"The guard could still use your sword skills!"

"Just why are you so concerned about this?" The man fidgeted on the cobblestones casting furtive glances around him before he whispered, "There are cracks. Things are not as secure as they seem. Someone with your skill is essential to keeping our village safe!"

"You fool!" Inuyasha hissed taking a step forward, tugging Hikaru forward. "Talking about something like this in the open and in front of my son, no less!"

"But!"

"Do you want to create a panic? Talking like a madman in public. Have you thought of who might hear your rambling on like this?" Inuyasha clenched his teeth as he growled at Daiki who gulped as he searched for the right words to say.

"No, I didn't…"

"Next time you have some concern like this, send me a notice and we'll meet somewhere more private!" Inuyasha slowly spoke through clenched teeth. Gulping, the man bowed low, "Forgive me sensei. I will seek a more appropriate time to discuss this."

Inuyasha grunted, firmly gripping Hikaru's hand as he led him quickly down the cobblestone pathway pausing for a moment as he called over his shoulder, "I will be waiting for that invitation."

"Yes sensei," the man quickly called out. As they walked briskly down the pathway Hikaru glanced up at Inuyasha, observing the tension in his father's face.

"Otousan," He quietly called out as he stumbled over his wooden sandals to keep up with Inuyasha's pace. Inuyasha stopped walking and closed his eyes, mentally cursing himself for allowing his emotions to get the better of him. He was angry with Daiki for behaving so brash, for having so little faith in the Guard, but he knew he should not have allowed Hikaru to see his anger.

"Otousan," Hikaru quietly murmured looking up at Inuyasha quizzically. Inuyasha looked down at Hikaru's worried face and quickly calmed down. Smiling as he ruffled Hikaru's hair gently he reassured him, "Do not worry about him. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Okay," Hikaru replied, satisfied with Inuyasha's answer. He was quiet as they neared the end of the walkway and a number of large buildings with swooping arched roofs whose tiles glistened in the morning sunlight.

"Oh," Hikaru stated slowing down once he saw the large wooden wall enclosing a tall building with shiny blue tiles decorating its roof.

"C'mon, we're almost there," Inuyasha, said squeezing the child's hand as they passed through the gate into the courtyard where the building came into view. But as they approached the building, Inuyasha noticed that Hikaru's steps were getting slower and he was gripping his hand tighter.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked kneeling so he could be eye level with Hikaru.

"Nothing," the child mumbled looking over Inuyasha's shoulder and fidgeting under Inuyasha's fierce gaze. But Inuyasha seemed to sense what was going on.

"Hey," Inuyasha gently prodded placing his hands on Hikaru's shoulders. "It's okay to be nervous but if you be yourself everything will be fine, okay?"

"Okay," Hikaru replied after fidgeting under Inuyasha's gaze with a shy smile. He took Inuyasha's hand and quickly followed him into the elegant building, wary of the children running and laughing through the halls. A pair of frogs leapt down the pathway. Upon watching a couple of students a mere few years older than he pause and bow before Inuyasha offering a polite "Good morning, Sensei!" Hikaru gulped and hid behind Inuyasha's leg.

"Good morning," Inuyasha replied bowing back. After the pair had ran off, Inuyasha turned and smiled at Hikaru. But Hikaru's eyes had fallen onto a pair of small frogs hopping along the hallway. Noticing that Inuyasha was waiting for him, Hikaru relaxed and took Inuyasha's hand and followed him down the hallway careful not to step on any of the frogs that were hopping along the walkways.

"Looks like someone decided to release a bunch of frogs in the school," Inuyasha mused aloud, a list of potential culprits in his head one of them a blood relative.

Finally they paused at a small classroom, its shoji door slid open. Inuyasha led Hikaru inside where a kind woman smiled at them.

"Hikaru, this is Sensei Mori," Inuyasha introduced. The kind woman bowed at the introduction and Hikaru nervously looked up at Inuyasha who nodded before bowing low in return. Moving with uncertainty, Hikaru slid off his hat and set his bag on the floor. She then patted him on the shoulder, "why don't you play with the other children.

Hikaru slowly stepped further into the room and sat down on a cushion on the floor. He watched as Inuyasha exchanged a few words with his sensei then kneeled down next to him and patted him gently on the back, "Your mother will come by to pick you up this afternoon. Try to have fun today, okay?"

"Okay," Hikaru bravely whispered looking down at his lap. Inuyasha patted him on the back and left the room. He walked down the hallway then paused, wanting to turn around and take Hikaru in his arms and run home. But he knew he could not do that. Inuyasha lingered for a moment, kicking a small frog that had jumped onto foot, before sighing and slowly walking home.

Quietly Hikaru sat on the floor and eyed two girls calmly playing a game of janken, or paper, rock and scissors. Nearby a couple of boys were playing with a small ball on the floor. He looked down at his small claws, wanting nothing more than to run home if only he could remember the route…

"Hikaru!" Looking up, Hikaru grinned to see Aiko running towards him her clothing too large for her small frame. She sat down next to him with a big smile, "Are you coming here now?"

Hikaru nodded listening as Aiko excitedly began to talk, "You are going to have so much fun here! We play games, paint, play music, and learn dances. After lunch we take a nap. And we get to go outside to play."

"But I don't know anybody here," Hikaru softly whined. Aiko grabbed his and stood up leading Hikaru to a group of boys and girls playing with wooden tops on a low table.

"Hi guys," Aiko smiled. Everyone at the table smiled back at her. Pushing Hikaru to the table she announces, "This is Hikaru."

"You're in my class at the dojo! You can bend in half!" a boy with his long red-brown hair tied in a ponytail at the top of his head cried out. Hikaru shyly smiled and nodded.

"Is your otousan Sensei Taisho?" Another girl asked.

"Yes," Hikaru replied looking at his classmates uneasily, wondering what their reaction would be. The small group of children grew excited with the news and soon the barrage of questions began.

"What is it like to live at a dojo?"

"Do your parents let you play with swords?"

"What is Sensei Taisho like?"

"Is your mother human?"

Hikaru smiled at the eager faces and quickly rattled off each answer.

Inuyasha slowly returned to the house looking down at the ground as he slid the door open and quietly entered. Taking his time slipping off his geta, Inuyasha slowly walked down the hallway to the bedroom where he found Kagome reclining against some large pillows on the futon, nursing Izayoi. Wistfully, he gazed at his wife and daughter as he stood in the doorway.

"Oh, you're back!" Kagome smiled as she watched Inuyasha sit at small low table and nodded, absentmindedly playing with the scroll that had been resting on it. Adjusting Izayoi in her arms she whispered, "What is wrong?"

"Did I do the right thing? Leaving him there," Inuyasha sighed unrolling the scroll and looking at it but not reading it. "What if it is too soon?"

Kagome looked down at Izayoi and smiled as the infant had fallen asleep in her arms. Kagome stood up and placed Izayoi in her basket closing the front of her kimono and securing it with a sash around her waist. She quickly made her way to Inuyasha and hugged him from behind. Rubbing his back, Kagome whispered, "I think he'll be fine. It's just so hard to let go."

"I suppose," Inuyasha muttered looking down at the table. He sighed once again, "But I feel like a bad person."

"We did the right thing, even though it is difficult for him. He would have felt the same even if we had waited longer," Kagome explained. "Life is about the sweet and the sour. If you don't have sour, you can't enjoy the sweetness.

"You're right," Inuyasha smiled weakly. Kagome hugged him from behind, resting her head on his shoulder. She could feel the tenseness in his muscles and frowned, "You are so tense. Did something else happen?"

Slowly, Inuyasha nodded and paused for a few moments before speaking, "On the way to the Tera Koya, I exchanged a few words with Daiki."

"Eh," Kagome gasped as she squeezed Inuyasha. "Did he ask you to join the guard again?"

Inuyasha nodded. Closing her eyes Kagome calmly stated, "You know he just wants to recruit you to his squad and rely on you to make his squad look stronger."

"Are you sure?" Inuyasha protested. "He said there were cracks in the Guard. What if what he is saying is true. What if the guard needs my help?" Kagome sighed, "You can't let one man's insecurity shake you up."

Tilting his head downward and closing his eyes, Inuyasha could not shake Daiki's warning from his head. He had a family to protect now and he had to make sure they would be safe. Opening his eyes, Inuyasha muttered his next course of action, "I am going to meet with the Sensei of the Guard. I need to make sure."

"That's a good idea," Kagome agreed. "Just to be sure everything is fine." Turning to gaze at Kagome, Inuyasha could not cease to wonder about the optimism she always seemed to possess. Yearning for peace and security in their home, he soon found himself believing in her words.

"You're right, Kagome. I shouldn't let someone like Daiki get the best of me. I just wish Hikaru had not seen me get upset."

Kagome rested her hands on his shoulder and smiled reassuringly, "I bet Hikaru will have forgotten all about that by this afternoon. Don't worry about it. Every parent makes mistakes once in a while."

A small blush appeared across Inuyasha's cheeks as he nodded at Kagome, grateful for her words yet the vestiges of his old insecurities still holding as he mumbled out a quiet, "thank you."

Inuyasha smiled as he kissed Kagome on the cheek, watching as she picked up Izayoi and settled down for a nap on the futon. He sat there gazing upon his girls, amazed at how Kagome could always make him feel better. As she lay there, a long lock of hair crossing her face, Kagome had no idea of the influence she had on Inuyasha. But Inuyasha knew. Every decision, every struggle, every achievement had been done with her in mind. Without her, he would be nothing.

Kagome opened her eyes and gazed at Inuyasha, smiling at him, "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," Inuyasha softly replied. A small smile spread across his lips, "Get some rest."

By early afternoon, renewed and in good spirits, Inuyasha led a small group of senior students through the wild terrain just around the dojo. In pairs, the students practiced combat with wooden swords over the rough terrain careful not to loose their balance. A soft sound of dried leaves crunching underfoot diverted his attention from his students.

With a look of pride in his eyes, Inuyasha grinned at Kagome who was carefully approaching him with Izayoi bundled on her back. She took a stern glance at the students, frowned for a second, then looked at Inuyasha, "They are doing very well."

"I've barely had to correct them," Inuyasha added as he played with Izayoi's ears, the infant squealing with joy. Izayoi reached out and grasped one of Inuyasha's fingers with her hand. Kagome focused on one of the student pairs sparring, "Protect your thigh Urasenke!"

Like a hawk, Kagome watched as the pair continued to spar, noting that Urasenke was positioning his body better. "That's better!"

Turning her head slightly, Kagome laughed at Inuyasha who was engaged in a small game of tug of war with Izayoi. Inuyasha paused and looked at Kagome sheepishly as he suddenly realized he had her attention.

"I guess I should be getting back to teaching my class," Inuyasha stated reluctantly removing his finger from Izayoi's small claws. With a serious look on her face, Kagome added, "I'm going to get Hikaru now. Do you still want him to assist in the ceremony this afternoon."

"Of course!" Inuyasha smiled. Kagome nodded, and hiked back to the dojo and quickly made her way to the Tera Koya. Kagome smiled as she found Hikaru playing with Aiko in the classroom, oblivious to her arrival. She walked further into the classroom and called out, "Hikaru,"

"Okasan!" Hikaru cried out. Laughing Kagome held out her hand for him, "Ready to go?" As he nodded, Kagome added, "Where's your bag?"

Hikaru quickly ran to grab his bag, waved goodbye to Aiko and quickly led Kagome and his sister out of the school. Trailing behind him, Kagome called out, "Wait for me!" Smiling Hikaru slowed his pace, but only just slightly.

"Did you have fun today?" Kagome asked, knowing full well the answer.

"Yep," Hikaru chirped. "We learned a dance, we played music, we painted, and we went outside to play."

Smiling, Kagome added, "Did you make a lot of friends today?" Hikaru nodded as he excitedly spoke, "Everyone was asking all these questions about the dojo and you and otousan.

"Oh really," Kagome inquired as they made their way down the tree covered walkway. Their children would be seen as the children of dojo, not as hated hanyou. And this thought made Kagome feel warm inside. Although there would come a day when her children's heritage would be questioned, she knew that Inuyasha and she would be there to guide them through it.

As they approached their house, Kagome stopped. Hikaru paused and looked at Kagome quizzically. Smiling reassuringly at Hikaru, Kagome softly explained, "Your father needs you for a very important task this afternoon. I need you to be very serious, and do everything he says. Do you think you can do that?"

Hikaru nodded, pursing his lips together in concentration. He quietly followed Kagome into the dojo to the small room in the back. Tentatively, Hikaru stepped into the room and looked around noticing a small low table and a young adolescent kneeling dressed in the uniform of the dojo with the dark outer kimono that indicated his higher rank. Seated behind him were a man and a woman, whom Hikaru assumed to be their parents.

Inuyasha smiled and kneeled next to Hikaru, stroking his hair reassuringly, "How was the tera koya today?"

"It was fun," Hikaru smiled. Smiling, Inuyasha added, "I'm glad. I just need for you to do a few things for me, okay?"

Nodding, Hikaru followed Inuyasha to a table. Inuyasha gently placed a small tray with a sharp blade resting on it onto his arms and whispered, "Stay here until I call for you."

"Okay," Hikaru whispered back. Inuyasha kneeled opposite the student and bowed slightly as he unrolled a large sheet of rice paper with elegant Japanese characters written across it. Hikaru fidgeted as he watched Inuyasha explain the basic principles of those who represented the dojo and the way of the sword.

"You must be truthful," Inuyasha softly spoke. "You must carry yourself with discretion, you must not argue or fight, be respectful, avoid places of evil, and most importantly you will not engage in any battles until deemed qualified. If you do not keep to this oath, you may be at the mercy of the kami of the temple."

"Yes sir," the student quietly responded. Inuyasha presented him with a small calligraphy brush and the student signed his name in exquisite calligraphy on the bottom of the paper. Turning to Hikaru who was twitching with boredom, Inuyasha nodded. Quickly Hikaru brought the tray to Inuyasha who took it from his arms and placed it on the table.

"Take the blade and make a cut here," Inuyasha motioned indicating the tip of the student's pointer finger. The student obliged and let a drop of blood fall onto his signature, thus completing the blood oath. Inuyasha took the knife set it on the tray. Looking at him expectantly, the student's eyes grew large as Inuyasha opened a small box and removed a scroll. Gently he placed it into the hands of his student, "Learn the teachings of this scroll. These teachings are a privilege you have earned."

"Thank you," the student gasped bowing to Inuyahsa. With the blood oath ceremony essentially over, Inuyasha motioned for Hikaru to stand by his mother.

"You did good," Kagome whispered to Hikaru as she led him out of the room. Gripping her hand, Hikaru followed Kagome out of the dojo, "Why did the man cut himself?"

"He made an oath, a promise, to the dojo and used his blood to show how important it is to him," Kagome tried to explain. "It was a very important promise."

Hikaru bit his lip, looking a bit confused, "But why did he have to use blood?"

Kagome sighed as she tried to explain, "He wanted to show that he was serious about his promise."

"Oh," Hikaru replied still not convinced. Kagome suspected that Hikaru would not understand the reasons behind the ceremony, so she offered a distraction, "Lets go home and take a nap."

"But I'm not tired," Hikaru stated. Leading him through the gate to their garden, Kagome offered, "How about a snack and then maybe a nap?"

"How about a snack only," Hikaru smiled.

"Sure," Kagome replied knowing that he would soon feel sleepy.

By early evening, the round paper lanterns of Rinjihoshi began to be lit and soon as the last rays of sunlight began to fade, the narrow cobblestone lined streets and alleys of the village were lit by the glow of these colorful lights.

Hikaru was practically skipping as he held onto Inyuryuko's hand, for he had rarely ventured into the main square of the village and never at night. The village was rather exotic at night, with women on high wooden shoes carefully holding the trailing hems of their elaborate kimono above the ground as they walked and men clad in elegant kimono and hakama. The air was fragrant with the scent of and incense and the pleasant aromas emanating from various restaurants.

Their party stopped at an elegant two-story building with a slanted tile roof and swooping awnings. The sound of chatter, food being served, and music could be heard coming from the building while the aroma of various dishes being prepared permeated the air.

"What is this place?" Hikaru blurted out. Inuyasha could not help but grin at Hikaru's abruptness all the while ignoring the odd look Kagome was giving him.

"It's the Araki Restaurant," Inuryoku smiled, a happy look on his face. "It's really good." Hungry, the two cousins quickly hurried up the steps, but were soon startled by a loud growl.

"Boys, you will wait for us," Sesshomaru sternly warned. Both Inuryoku and Hikaru gulped and nodded. They eagerly watched as their parents congregate on the porch of the restaurant. Finally, after waiting what appeared to be an eternity, the party entered the restaurant and was seated at a large table.

"Hikaru, I will read the list of food you can get and you get to choose whichever one you want."

"Really," Hikaru replied excited. Kagome nodded and calmly read the list to him. Hikaru frowned at all the choices before finally deciding on what he wanted, "I want the eel."

"Good choice," Inuyasha smiled ruffling his son's hair. Hikaru laughed pushing Inuyasha's hand out of his hair.

"And how was school today?" Inuyasha asked. A large grin spread across Hikaru's face, "It was fun! Everyone was asking all these questions about you and the dojo."

"Me?" Inuyasha reacted. "What about me?" Sesshomaru laughed at Inuyasha's confusion as numerous thoughts entered his head. Inuyasha turned and glared at his brother, "And what is so funny?"

"Relax Inuyasha," Kagome smiled. "The children look forward to learning how to use a sword that they can't help but ask questions." Inuyasha looked thoughtfully down at the table and nodded in understanding. But it still did not explain his brother's bemusement. Turning to Sesshomaru, Inuyasha growled, "And just what were you thinking?"

"You are so amusing sometimes," Sesshomaru dryly retorted.

"Otousan," Hikaru spoke up. "Why did that man cut himself today?" Inuyasha froze, unsure of how to explain the ceremony. Taking a sip of tea, Inuyasha swallowed slowly and tried, "Well when an adult member of the dojo learns enough kata, he or she can join the dojo. This person will pledge their loyalty to the dojo and promise to follow special rules by giving a drop of their blood. The blood shows how serious the bond between the student and the dojo is. Does that make sense?"

Hikaru nodded as he began to understand the importance of the ritual and the pledge the student made to the dojo. But his attention to the subject was short lived as a full tray was set on the table, laden with various cuts of succulent chicken skewered and grilled to perfection. Small bowls of dipping sauce were placed in front of everyone on the table. Hikaru spied a piece of skin and looked over to Inuyasha who nodded approvingly. Giggling he reached for the meat and took a bite.

"Try dipping it in the sauce," Kagome offered. Carefully Hikaru dipped a small portion of the meat into the sauce tentatively taking a bite. Deciding that he liked the flavor, Hikaru dipped more into the sauce and quickly ate the rest.

"Here, have a piece of cartilage," Sesshomaru offered placing the skewered meat on Inuyasha's plate. Grinning, Inuyasha dipped the skewer into the sauce and chewed slowly enjoying the taste and texture.

"Now that's the good stuff," Inuyasha replied. He reached for another piece and offered it to Hikaru, who copied Inuyasha grinning as he enjoyed the flavor. Spying another piece, Hikaru reached for it but it was quickly taken by Mika from across the table.

"Hey!" Hikaru cried out as he stood up.

"Hikaru," Kagome warned in a stern voice. Looking a little lost, Hikaru pleaded, "But she took the piece I was about to." A low growl came from Inuyasha who spoke softly, "She grabbed the piece first. It is hers."

"Yes sir," Hikaru quietly replied. Kagome rubbed his back as he sat down, "Relax, and there are more." Quietly, Hikaru nibbled on a few more pieces. His mood improved considerably, however, when a lacquered tray of food separated by small compartments was set before him, Hikaru's mood brightened considerably.

Leaning down next to him, Inuyasha asked, "Is it good?"

"Uh huh," Hikaru replied eagerly digging in with his chopsticks. Sesshomaru poured some sake into a cup and set it before Inuyasha, "You must celebrate!"

"That's right," Inuyasha agreed. "Several students advanced today, and Hikaru started school today." With that statement, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru downed the contents of their cups. Their cups were soon full of warm sake again and soon the ceramic jar of sake was nearly empty. His stomach full, his mind fuzzy from the sake, Inuyasha leaned back and grinned contentedly for everything seemed right with the world.

* * *

Sorry for the long delay! I was in Italy for a month then I moved and did not have internet connection for month after that. But I'm back and hope to update soon. 


	26. Secrets of the Master

Secrets of the Master

Leaning back in his bed in his sparse bedroom, Koukastu carefully read through the book he found in the office a couple of weeks ago. A small cigarette hung from his lips, a trail of smoke floating up to the ceiling. The book had proved most valuable having revealed the innermost workings of several powerful yakuza groups in the city, their territory, their allies, and their rivals.

The book also contained several bits of information that could be used against these leaders. Lighting a new cigarette, Koukastu wondered why Kengen never advanced his organization further for he had all that he needed in these books to meet this end.

Inhaling deeply from his cigarette, Koukastu theorized that perhaps Kengen was bidding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to make his move. He would follow suit, and be patient. He gritted his teeth at that thought for he knew he did not posses the patience of Kengen. He turned to his bedside table as his mobile phone rang a standard ring and answered with annoyance, "Hello."

Removing the cigarette from his mouth with his other hand, Koukastu frowned as he listened intently.

"So the transaction did not go smoothly," Koukastu drawled slowly, his voice dripping with anger. He gritted his teeth as he listened to the caller, not liking what he was hearing. Taking a puff from his forgotten cigarette, Koukastu slowly instructed further, "Well you know the rules, we don't get paid then our customer does not get our products and even may have to pay punitive damages."

"What do you want me to do?" the voice on the phone asked. Koukastu tapped his cigarette over the ashtray and returned his cigarette to his lips, "The customer must pay, if not in yen then in body and limb, understood?"

"Very well," the voice on the phone stated. Koukastu ended the call and returned the phone to his bedside table. He could feel the anger arising throughout his body, his fingers tingling in frustration for he had lost a large sum of money. This was the latest in a series of failures in recent transactions, and he was beginning to doubt his leadership abilities. And this was not something he was willing to admit.

Reaching for the bottle of whisky on his bedside table, Koukastu poured some of it into a small glass and took a large sip. His attention returned to the book in his lap, hoping to gain some of Kengen's guidance. He flipped through the book slowly, not finding any of the passages very interesting. As he turned the page, Koukastu's eyes focused on a most peculiar passage:

_The blood of the youkai is most peculiar, possessing almost drug-like quantities. In the littlest quantities it can imbue the most spectacular of powers. It can enhance sight, clarify sound, provide immunity to injury, and produce incredible strength._

_But a few drops too many, and psychosis can occur. And in the rarest of cases, death can result._

_Yet the acquisition of such blood can be difficult as most youkai will not willingly spill their blood and they are too powerful to subdue. The blood to be utilized must be fresh or preserved with the addition of certain ingredients or the results can be disastrous. _

Unfortunately that is where the passage ended. In fact many passages ended this way, providing important information but leaving out more a feature of this book that frustrated Koukastu to no end. At first he found the passage rather unbelievable but as he thought of his work with Kengen, the number of unusual events began to add up.

Early in his service to Kengen, he had witnessed him recover from a gunshot wound to his chest in a mere few weeks. Koukastu was full aware that such injuries took months to barely recover from, having been the victim of a gunshot twice before. But soon forgot the incident in his eagerness to prove himself to Kengen.

But there was another incident that he would never forget. He was not witness to it but heard its account at a geisha party in a teahouse. Kengen had been arguing with a business associate, who had left the bar in anger and was heading to his car. With barely any effort, Kengen followed after him. But the associate was already in his car; the car door closed and he had buckled his seat belt. Kengen approached the car, ripped the door off and pulled the associate out, car seat and all. He then proceeded to rip the seat belt off and lifted the man into the air and knocking him unconscious with a single punch to the jaw.

Koukastu had learned that the man had sustained innumerable injuries and had required several surgeries but had yet to make a full recovery. The remarkable detail to the story was that Kengen barely touched the man. To cause such dramatic injures with barely any blows was a truly remarkable feat.

Slamming the book shut, Koukastu dangled the cigarette between his lips unsure of what to think of the passage. He gazed at Kengen's cryptic book before him. Was that the reason he kept the child, to use his blood. But the passage was not very clear. And the boy was just a child. Was the blood of a child powerful enough to accomplish this? Opening the book, he quickly turned the pages eager to discover more of these strange creatures.

For the next several passages, there was no mention of youkai or blood. All he could find were details of crime organizations, major metropolitan centers, and businesses. This was valuable information, but not the detail he was seeking. But he kept on reading until he found what he was looking for. Curiously, his eyes focused on a peculiar passage

_Hanyou are the bastard children of humans and youkai. They are rare, but that does not make them any less dangerous. In fact, some theorize they are more dangerous than any youkai or human alone. Although the human blood that flows through their veins weakens them, they possess incredible strength. And a few have demonstrated strength beyond their full-blooded counterparts._

_Unlike full-blooded youkai, hanyou may display more animalistic features and will have more difficulty disguising them. But some hanyou will display more humanistic features making them very cunning._

Koukastu frowned thinking of what the passage had said. Once again, he thought of that child that Kengen had harbored, desperately trying to recall his name. He never really thought of him as a person, referring to him simply as "dog-boy."

Was that child a youkai or a hanyou? He certainly fit the description of a being that had the blood of youkai flowing through his veins with his animalistic features and incredible strength for one so small.

But most importantly, what was Kengen doing with that child? That child was strong yes, but not invincible. He had been able to subdue the child easily and could not imagine the child's blood providing much power.

Koukastu wondered what had happened to the child. The child obviously could not survive on his own merits and he wondered in whose custody the child lay. Had the child spoken? And what did he say. Koukastu had been relieved when the child was nowhere to be found but now he began to have second doubts.

Koukastu knew he needed to locate the child, but how? And where would he look? Kengen was a guarded person and Koukastu wondered what information lay hidden in the office. A small bead of sweat formed on his forehead as he realized he would have to seek out the creatures he most feared, the youkai.

* * *

Tnanks for all the kind reviews. It kind of inspired me to crank out this chapter a little faster! 


	27. Tea And Sake

Tea And Sake

Inuyasha quickly moved down the streets of Rinjihoshi, his face tense in though, the burgundy sleeves of his patterned kimono trailing behind him as his flowing black hakama pants swirled around his legs, his black lacquered geta making loud "click clack" sounds on the cobblestones. Sesshomaru, calmly and quietly followed behind, his wooden sandals barely making a sound and his face an impenetrable mask.

"Whom are we meeting with today?" Sesshomaru dryly asked crossing his arms in front of him, annoyance evident in his voice for he had other business to attend to.

"Shigeta."

"May I ask why you needed me to accompany you to lunch with the head of the Guard?" Sesshomaru grunted.

"I don't know why you're complaining," Inuyasha retorted, "I'm paying for your meal." Sesshomaru smiled his usual toothless grin as he followed his brother, "But I still do not understand why I need to accompany you."

Inuyasha paused and turned to face his brother, "We have some important security matters to discuss that only the head of the Guard can address, information you may find useful." His voice was hushed and hurried and his face knotted in worry.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes as he gazed at his brother. Something had his brother spooked, but what he was not sure. Slowly he spoke, "What has aroused your suspicions."

"Daiki said something the other day," Inuyasha admitted as his eyes focused on a lizard on the ground. Sesshomaru looked at his brother, surprised that he would allow someone like the lowly ranked Guard Daiki to get to him. It was so uncharacteristic of him. But emotionally, he knew that he and Kagome had been through so much recently. And Sesshomaru could understand what was driving Inuyasha now.

"I see," Sesshomaru replied as the pair continued to the restaurant, resisting the urge to tease his little brother. They walked in silence through the crowded main square of the village. Sesshomaru gazed at the youkai and at the beautiful buildings that made up Rinjihoshi and he could see Inuyasha's concern for maintaining the beauty of the village they now called home.

Their destination was a rather simple structure, but once they crossed through the colorful curtain hanging over the doorway, they found the interior to be rather exquisite. The beams used to support the ceiling were decorated with intricate engravings while simple but beautiful furniture of dark wood graced the main room of the restaurant reminiscent of the style found on the Chinese mainland. But Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were not interested in these details as they were led to a private room, where they sat down on fresh tatami before a low table stained a dark red color.

The two brothers were not alone for long as a waitress soon entered the room with a large tray upon which was set a pot of tea and a ceramic jar of sake and three sets of menus written on fine rice paper. Cups were set before them and the waitress soon left the room. Sesshomaru poured sake into small ceramic cups for both he and his brother and took a sip of the warm liquid allowing it to linger on his tongue before swallowing. Inuyasha did not acknowledge the drink before him and sat looking down at the table, his hands folded in his lap.

Taking another sip of his sake, Sesshomaru quietly asked in barely a whisper, "What did Daiki say to you?"

"He said that there were cracks in the Guard, there were weakness, and that things were not as secure as they appear," Inuyasha whispered back his eyes not leaving the table.

"Is that all?" Sesshomaru pressed further. Inuyasha nodded. Sesshomaru frowned, and quietly added, "Then what has got you so spooked. He's just a lowly guard."

"It was the way he spoke," Inuyasha hissed as he diverted his gaze to his brother. "His voice was so desperate and his eyes were full of fear. I just could not help to believe him. I just need to speak to Shigeta to be sure everything is fine."

"Very well, little brother," Sesshomaru spoke reassuringly. Inuyasha traced the rim of his sake cup but did not motion to lift it to take a sip and talked with honesty in his voice, "There is just so much that we don't know about Hikaru's life before we adopted him. There were strange cuts all over him and he was badly beaten. I can't help but wonder if he was something of value to someone and if that someone wants him back."

Sesshomaru nodded, fully understanding his brother's fears. He took another sip of his sake as he chose his words carefully, "Do not worry. We will get to the bottom of this mystery. I have vowed to do my up most to protect my family."

The door to the private room slid open and a tall thin man with green eyes and snow-white hair tied in a tall ponytail atop his head stepped inside. As he shuffled his stocking clad feet into the room both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru stood up and bowed respectfully.

"Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, always a pleasure to dine with you," the head of the Guard kindly offered. Sesshomaru nodded pouring a cup of sake for Shigeta, "It's our pleasure."

Picking up the ceramic cup, Inuyasha noted that his sake had cooled somewhat but still took a sip of it and commented, "You look well. Are you doing well?"

"Why yes I am. I heard that you have a new addition to your family," Shigeta smiled at Inuyasha. Inuyasha blushed as he diverted his eyes to the tabletop, "Yes, we have adopted a little hanyou, Hikaru."

"Yes, I hear he has already taken an affinity to the sword." Inuyasha laughed, "Yes he has. He's a fast learner although he has a bit of a temper and gets frustrated easily." Shigeta laughed at Inuyasha's comment, "It seems as if he was brought to you by the kami."

Inuyasha looked thoughtfully at Shigeta. Had he been looked upon kindly by the kami, the gods of the world? The thought had escaped Kagome's lips as the pair sat outside gazing at the moon one warm evening after the children had fallen asleep.

"I suppose," Inuyasha admitted looking down at the menu. "Hikaru is definitely a gift." Sesshomaru had been perusing the menu, but stopped as he looked at his brother thoughtfully. The room soon fell into a comfortable silence.

As the door gently slid open, everyone turned to watch as the waitress returned to take their orders. As Shigeta ordered stir-fried squid, Inuyasha quickly scanned the menu selecting a simple grilled fish entrée.

Sesshomaru, however, among his selection of grilled eel ordered toro sashimi. The fatty meat of the tuna cut from the belly of the fish was indeed rare and expensive, sold for large amounts of yen throughout the country. Inuyasha could only glare at his brother since he was paying for his brother's meal. The bastard was going to pay.

But there were more pressing thoughts on his mind, and Inuyasha's thoughts quickly turned to the suspicions aroused by Daiki. He absentmindedly looked down at his nearly full cup of sake as Shigeta and Sesshomaru discussed the finer points of the various breeds of youkai horses. He barely blinked as the waitress returned with a large tray laden with small bowls of steaming miso soup, brilliant green seaweed salad, boiled soybean in their pods, and glistening pickled cucumbers, a tray of vegetable dumplings, and a large plate of colorful sushi. Cups of sauces were set before them.

Sesshomaru and Shigeta quickly began to indulge in the small feast before them, making small noises of enjoyment. Inuyasha normally would have enjoyed such a feast of these delicacies, but he was not very hungry and the food bland. And as his companions commented as the main dishes were brought in, all Inuyasha could do was sigh. He slowly ate not really tasting his food.

"So what troubles you Inuyasha?" Shigeta asked halfway through his meal. "You've been quiet the whole meal."

Taking a sip of his tea and sighing, Inuyasha calmly replied, "I just have a lot on my mind."

"I can tell," Shigeta replied. Inuyasha looked at Shigeta with a surprised look on his face. Both Sesshomaru and Shigeta nodded. Setting his chopsticks on the chopsticks rest, and facing both of his dining companions Inuyasha explained, "I heard something the other day, about the security of our village. That there were cracks and weaknesses in the Guard."

Shigeta looked at Inuyasha thoughtfully and spoke carefully, "You know nothing is one hundred percent certain in this world. We are constantly watching other youkai, the advancement of humans, and so on. But you can't live your life in fear."

Inuyasha glared at Shigeta, not pleased with his diplomatic response. Shigeta however, ignored him and continued to speak, "However, you have every right to feel that way. Mysteriously, the village is being watched by outsiders-youkai from other villages. I suspect they are jealous of our prosperity but suspicious of our open-mindedness. Hanyou are not so freely accepted in most villages."

"Don't think I don't know that," Inuyasha darkly replied looking down at the tabletop, his face an unreadable mask.

"Inuyasha, you are more connected to the human world than Sesshomaru and I. If you know anything unusual, you need to let me know."

"That's the problem, there is so much I don't know. Hikaru came from the human world, but he came to us broken. Who had done this to him? And why?"

"But," Sesshomaru slowly added. "We do know he was connected to some gangster named Kengen, who was murdered on the day Hikaru was found. I can't but wonder if the two events are linked."

"I just hope we solve the mystery of his origins before anything happens. I have this feeling that he is or was very valuable to someone and that someone wants him back. Hikaru does not need to suffer any more," Inuyasha spoke with sadness in his voice.

Shigeta looked at both brothers and understood their plight. He poured more sake into their cups and took a sip, "When dealing with humans, things can get very complicated. With their machines and modern weapons, humans can be very powerful. The key is to watch them and stay one step ahead of them."

Both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha nodded in agreement with Shigeta. Feeling slightly reassured, Inuyasha took a sip of his sake and asked, "So nothing unusual has been reported."

Shigeta shook his head, "No, not a single thing has appeared out of order. But now I know where to look. The guard will be keeping its eyes on Tokyo in particular and on youkai that are no longer welcome here."

Everyone returned to their meal, mapping out a plan to keep an eye on any mysterious activities. Happy to being doing something rather than waiting and reacting, Inuyasha relaxed and began to enjoy his meal. He glared at Sesshomaru as he picked up a piece of the expensive marbled red toro sashimi and muttered, "Is that good?"

"Most excellent," Sesshomaru smirked. Gritting his teeth, Inuyasha stated, "Good, because you're eating all of it." Sesshomaru smiled as he took a bite of another piece of the raw fish. But as he chewed, he soon realized that the lunch was most informative and that his brother would most likely exert some form of revenge on him.

Soon the conversation turned to a discussion of the different types of swords found throughout the world.

"So you have used a European sword?" Shigeta asked. Inuyasha nodded, "In Italy I have."

"I don't understand how such a thin sword could be so useful," Sesshomaru pondered aloud. Inuyasha smiled for this was his area of expertise, "In the right situation, a spada sword can be quite effective. Any sword in the right situation can be useful."

Shigeta frowned as he formed a picture in his mind of two duelers wielding long thin European swords like samurai. He shook his head as the mental image did not make any sense, "But how would one wield such a weapon."

Standing up, Inuyasha began to explain. "That type of sword is most effective when battling one on one. You need to thrust the point into your opponent!" Inuyasha lunged forward thrusting his imaginary sword into an imaginary opponent.

"But what about armor?" Sesshomaru asked. Inuyasha smiled, "These type of swords were used for civilian duels where the opponents were evenly matched so no armor was worn. But not all duels were carried out the death. Drawing blood could be enough."

"Fascinating," Shigeta mused sipping at his sake. As Inuyasha sat down he added, "It is very beautiful and takes a bit of practice to get used to." Shigeta poured the last of the sake out and mused, "You are most fortunate to have traveled. I have yet to venture beyond these islands."

Drinking the last of the sake, Inuyasha mused that despite the hardships he had endured, he was indeed very fortunate. Feeling confident, he knew he would come out victorious in the upcoming "battles" with the humans who had harmed Hikaru. There was no doubt about, he had a feeling that he would hear from them soon.

As they left the restaurant, their minds a little fuzzy from the sake, Shigeta turned to the two brothers, "Thank you for the information. I trust you will tell me if you discover anything else new."

"Of course," Inuyasha replied as both brothers bowed to Shigeta. Inuyasha watched as Shigeta walked down the alley, his body disappearing as he turned a corner, then he turned to face Sesshomaru and punched him hard in the jaw.

"What the hell was that for?" Sesshomaru grunted, stepping back and rubbing his jaw. Inuyasha walked quickly past him down the street muttering, "That toro sashimi was expensive!"

* * *

Thanks for all the reviews and encouragement. It is giving me fuel to write. I hope everyone likes this chapter. It gave me a bit of trouble fitting everything together. And for all you Super Dollfie lovers out there, I named the head of the guard after Mr Shigeta (who is president of Volks, the Japanese maker of those ball jointed dolls you see people carrying around at anime conventions) 


	28. Valley of the Foxes

Chapter 1

Valley of the Foxes

"Tails!" Hikaru cried out as his eyes focused on the kitsune, the youkai fox spirits, as they entered a strange village composed of small but cozy traditional houses in the midst of a lush valley. "They have tails!" All the other children in their group, a few years older than he, giggled at Hikaru's comment. He had been excited all morning as the small group traveled to a nearby village for a tournament and he had yet to see another youkai village.

"Foxes have tails," Inuryoku explained as the group crossed a wide wooden bridge that passed over a small river to a crowded shopping area. A few of the villagers pointed in their direction, but no one acted as if they were surprised to see them. Hikaru looked up at Kagome quizzically who explained, "Youkai come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Foxes have large tails and fox like feet."

Hikaru was quiet as they stopped at a large ornate temple with sweeping awnings and a deep red tile roof. A young adolescent spotted them and quickly ran as if to retrieve someone. A tall thin kitsune with wild red hair, brilliant green eyes and three tails flicking behind him emerged from the temple and ran up to Kagome and was about to embrace her when he was yanked back by one of his tails.

"Watch it runt!" Inuyasha called. "Izayoi is on her back."

"Sorry," the kitsune sheepishly replied with remorse written on his face. Kagome smiled and looked at him sternly, "Just be careful next time Kato." The poor kitsune nodded and walked around Kagome where he admired Izayoi who was cooing happily on her back.

"She's beautiful!" Kato complimented as Izayoi made strange cooing sounds. "She has Inuyasha's eyes!"

"She certainly does," Kagome smiled looking at Inuyasha who hid a blush as he looked away. Kato chuckled quietly as he looked to Inuyasha who was now holding Hikaru's hand. Aware of faces looking at him, Inuyasha placed a hand on Hikaru's shoulders and gently pushed him forward as he spoke to the kitsune, "Kato, this Hikaru."

A knowing smile formed on Kato's face as he looked down at the child, "Nice to meet you Hikaru." He smiled as Hikaru politely bowed low much to Inuyasha's encouragement and was surprised to find a hand gently pressed on his back pushing him down and Inuyasha whispering in his ear, "It's polite to bow back."

Suppressing a laugh at the irony of Inuyasha having taught the boy a bit of manners, Kato bowed back, "It's nice to meet you Hikaru." Hikaru smiled and looked up at Kagome then at Inuyasha, both of whom nodded.

"Um, nice to meet you," Hikaru stuttered back, but relaxed as Kato smiled and ruffled his hair. Kato looked to the group, "Follow me everyone. The group was led to a large stage with a white tent draped over it to shield it from the sun. Another group from a wolf youkai village was seen nearby practicing for the tournament as well.

Inuyasha looked around warily and sniffed the air several times frowning at a peculiar scent, ignoring the worried glances Kagome was sending him. Inuyasha walked to Kato's side and whispered in his ear, "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Kato nodded as he led Inuyasha away from the group and hissed, "What is the matter?"

"Shippo, there are only kitsune in the village, right?" Inuyasha, referring to the kitsune he considered a son by his first name, asked in a low voice. Shippo looked around for a second and replied, "Yes. Why do you ask?"

"On the way up I thought I smelled something funny," Inuyasha explained. "It smelled of strong incense as if someone or something was trying to mask one's scent."

"I'm sure it was nothing," Shippo chirped. Inuyasha gazed at Shippo and firmly spoke, "I hope your village's guard is prepared for any trouble."

"Unlike your village, we don't have any problems here," Shippo shot back. Inuyasha glared at Shippo, tempted to counter that remark but he thought it might not be received well. Looking away from him, Inuyahsa began heading back to his group, "Let's just get started."

Shippo looked around uncertainly hoping that there was nothing out of the ordinary. Inuyasha's ability to sense of smell was rarely wrong, but this was a small kitsune village unlike Rinjihoshi and nothing unusual happened here. But deep down, he could not help but worry and his mind kept repeating the mantra: Inuyasha's nose is never wrong.

Quietly the pair returned to where the stage had been set up. A large crowd had gathered to watch the competition and was seated on wooden benches chatting excitedly.

"Okay, everyone line up and warm up," Inuyasha called out. Looking at Hikaru he added, "You too."

"But I'm not competing," Hikaru questioned. A smile and a wink from Inuyasha soothed him, "Don't worry, you're not competing. I just want you to warm up with the others for practice."

Hikaru nodded and lined up with the other students as they formed the familiar circle and marched as they swung their arms. Without any instruction from Inuyasha or Kagome, the children completed their warm up exercises and stretched their muscles in military like fashion. Inuyasha smirked as he watched some of the other competitors' faces, surprised at the discipline of his team.

"They start them young," a spectator proclaimed pointing at Hikaru, causing Inuyasha and Kagome to smile at each other knowingly. Inuyasha smirked, knowing that placing Hikaru amongst the older students would be a good show. After all, a bit of psychological warfare never hurt anyone. And his dojo did have a reputation amongst all the youkai villages throughout Japan.

Shippo knew that Kagome and Inuyasha's students were good, having heard countless accounts of their technique. But this was the first time he had seen their students and as he watched them practice the basic kata in military like fashion, he was impressed and they had not even competed yet.

Inuyasha watched the students intently, his arms crossed across his chest. Hisamari, his sempai, was quietly giving orders to the students her blond hair flowing around her figure as she moved around the group. Leaving the students under the watchful gaze of the sempai, Inuyasha led Kagome to an isolated area near the temple.

"Something is bothering you, I can tell," Kagome whispered. Inuyasha nodded and looked down at the ground, "I thought I smelled something odd."

"Odd?" Kagome hissed. Looking her in the eye thoughtfully, Inuyasha continued, "When we entered the village I could smell incense and herbs."

"But that could be anything," Kagome protested. Inuyasha shook his head, "the scent was too strong and concentrated as if it was being used to mask another scent."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha thoughtfully, knowing he had noticed something peculiar, "What exactly did you smell."

"Under the scent of all that incense and herbs, I caught the scent of a dog youkai."

Frowning Kagome looked at him directly, "Did you catch who it was."

"No, it was too faint. But it has me worried." Kagome took his hands in hers and squeezed them reassuringly as she whispered, "Just be alert, and everything should be fine."

Inuyasha nodded and followed her back to their students, clutching her hand firmly. He quietly watched as Kagome guided the students, his ears flickering at any sound. Concentrating, he could not identify that scent he had noticed earlier and he soon grew suspicious that his mind had been playing tricks on him. Looking over at Hikaru as he ran over to his aunt Mayumi who was tending to bored-looking little Mika, Inuyasha reminded himself that he could not be making excuses.

He watched as the competition began, the students divided into groups by age and skill level and paired off to compete against each other. The victor of each battle would advance to the next round, while the other student would be eliminated.

Hikaru's eyes were glued to the competitors, watching as Inuryoku quickly countered every attack from his opponent, a wolf youkai much taller than him. Frowning, Hikaru wondered how the young wolf could be allowed to perform so sloppily. He had swung his sword too far and did not step far enough in class the other day and he was quickly corrected. He cheered with Mayumi and Mika as Inuryoku's arm was raised.

Inuryoku grinned and waved at Hikaru and Mika and his mother as he marched to his next match earning a gentle whack to the back of the head from Kagome, "Focus! Don't pay attention to the crowd."

Wincing, Inuryoku rubbed his head. Kagome glared at him, "I didn't even hit you hard. Now concentrate. Your next competitor is not going to be as easy as your last."

Nodding, Inuryoku listened to Kagome's instructions as he waited for his name to be called. He watched as his teammate, a small girl with a long ponytail, win her match. Soon he was called up.

His face deep in concentration, Inuryoku bowed to his opponent and began once the referee instructed the two children to do so. Inuryoku almost missed blocking a strike from his opponent but quickly recovered. Kagome frowned as Inuryoku almost tripped over his own feet.

"Focus!" Kagome called out. Hikaru leaned forward biting his lip as Inuryoku gained his composure and began to meet his opponent blow for blow. Soon he gained the upper hand and with a forward thrust he won the match.

"Oh that was close," Mayumi sighed. Hikaru nodded. He bit his lip as Inuryoku quickly advanced through the matches, noticing that most of the students advancing were from his dojo.

Soon it was only Inuyroku left facing a tall wolf boy. The wolf looked down at Inuryoku his tail swishing with annoyance. Inuryoku gritted his teeth and firmly gripped his wooden sword. As the referee gave the boys their signal to begin, both boys quickly began.

The wolf, however, possessed great strength and Inuryoku found it difficult to meet his opponent blow for blow. But Inuryoku was the quicker of the two, and managed to avoid his opponent's attacks leaving his opponent to frantically block his strikes. Yet despite this, it took all his strength block against the wolf's powerful attacks.

But Inuryoku was growing tired and he knew he would have to end this match soon if he was to win. With his brow furrowed in concentration, Inuroyku spun and landed a blow on his opponent's chest who wasn't able to block it in time. Standing up straight and lowering his sword, Inuyroku shyly grinned knowing he won the tournament.


	29. A Cultural Exchange

Chapter 1

A Cultural Exchange

A small girl with brilliant red hair arranged into two large pigtails smiled and fidgeted, "We want to invite you to lunch. It's our village specialty-Oden!"

Kagome kneeled down smiling at the cute girl, "Of course." Inuyasha laughed as Kagome's face brightened at the thought of the stew-a favorite of hers since childhood. Her mother's recipe will always be her favorite, but the flavor of Oden made by kitsune was special and has never been duplicated by any human.

As the group marched to the Oden restaurant, Inuryoku grinned clutching his trophy and running ahead. Hikaru and Mika followed quickly behind.

"What are you thinking?" Sesshomaru called out to his son. Grinning mischievously, Inuryoku turned around and looked at his father, "Nothing."

"It better be nothing!"

Sesshomaru glanced up at the heavens wondering what he did in his life to deserve Inuryoku, other than his troubled history with his brother. While bright and usually at the top of his class, the child had a mischievous nature often testing his patience. Mayumi often scolded Sesshomaru, reminding him that it was probably his genes and not hers that contributed to Inuryoku's excitable nature.

"Inuryoku, don't even think about _it_," Sesshomaru warned, eliciting a giggle from Mayumi who linked in his. He wasn't sure what his son was contemplating but felt that reminding him helped keep him in order. "Come along now."

"This Inuryoku was not thinking about anything," the child protested crossing his arms and tucking his hands into the white billowing sleeves of his kimono.

_Don't let him get to you_, Sesshomaru growled, doing his best to ignore the comment. _Count to ten._

"This Sesshomaru does not care if you were thinking about anything. Just don't do anything."

"Fine."

"And you will keep an eye on your cousin. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir!" Inuryoku replied with enthusiasm in his voice as the group was led to a large restaurant and seated at a couple of long tables under an awning outside. Hikaru followed Inuryoku and grinned when his cousin motioned for him to sit next to him.

"You guys are really good," a kitsune girl asked from across the table. "Do you guys practice a lot?"

Inuryoku and his teammates looked at one another and grinned. But it was Inuryoku who spoke first, "We practice every day after tera koya for about two hours then on Saturdays we practice for about four."

The fox children looked at each other in astonishment while the girl spoke up, "We only practice three days a week."

"Yeah, but we have to go to tera koya on Saturdays," her classmate a small boy with dark hair added.

"Ewww," Inuryoku and his classmates all said in unison. Resting his chin on the palm of his hand, Inuryoku added, "I couldn't stand another day of the week at the Tera Koya."

"Yeah, another day would be horrible," a classmate, added. Smiles appeared on the children's faces as steaming bowls of stew laden with boiled eggs, fried vegetables, squid, radishes, seaweed, and numerous other ingredients were set before them, the aroma enticing.

"This looks good," Inuryoku stated as he picked up his chopsticks ready to take his first bite as he overheard the voice of the wolf boy he defeated earlier brag loudly, "The half-breed got lucky. Next time it won't be so easy for him."

Slamming his chopsticks onto the table, Inuryoku stood up and glared at boy, "What did you call me?"

"You heard me, I called you a half-breed," the boy taunted. "Because that's what you are, a lowly half-breed that needs to learn his place!"

"Inuryoku," Sesshomaru growled, but he would not back down. He glared at the boy and growled loudly, "Funny you talk about my place because I remember getting first place and you did not!"

"Boys!" Kato shouted. "That is enough!"

"But he started it," Inuryoku protested. Glaring at him, Kato spoke through gritted teeth, "I said that is enough."

Both boys glared at each other growling softly. A stern looking wolf roughly grabbed his young charge by the arm and yanked him to another part of the restaurant. Inuryoku crossed his arms and closed his eyes. His anger was so intense he did not notice Sesshomaru get up from the table and approach him until he heard his father whisper in his ear, "Let's go outside, ok?"

Inuryoku nodded as he followed his father and Inuyasha outside. He stood with his arms crossed and his ears erect, his back turned to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.

"What was that all about?" Sesshomaru firmly stated.

"He started it!" Inuryoku huffed. Inuyasha sighed and sat down on a bench looking down at the ground, "You can't let every ignorant fool get the best of you."

Inuyroku sniffed, "What would you know?" Sesshomaru grunted as Inuyasha added, "You aren't the only hanyou around here. I have heard those things all my life."

Inuyasha then looked out to the street watching as the villagers scampered about, as he thought of what to say next. "Those words do hurt. It's hard when humans are afraid of your strength and youkai would look down upon you for being weak and no one is willing to learn the about the real you. I know how it feels to be caught between two worlds."

Glancing down at the ground, Inuryoku found it hard to believe that his strong uncle had been treated the same way. But he realized that Inuyasha had been a child once and had probably suffered the same, "Did the other children tease you a lot."

Sighing, Inuyasha looked up at the sky attempting to think of the right words to say. Finally, he found his voice, "Yes I was. My village was not at nice as ours. Even adults would taunt me. Sometimes I was beaten just for being a hanyou."

Sesshomaru remained silent as Inuyasha continued to speak, never having heard him speak so frankly of the pain of his past before. He swallowed the lump in his throat, but could not shake the guilt that he felt.

"As I got bigger I used to pick fights with everyone who made a comment about my heritage. But I was so narrow-minded that I did not realize the problems I caused," Inuyasha continued. "Then I met someone who made me feel different about myself. She showed me that being a hanyou is pretty special. And I wasn't alone anymore. I think it was because of your hanyou heritage that made you the stronger competitor today. Yes you are different, but that makes you smarter and stronger and more driven."

Nodding as a small breeze blew his hair about him, Sesshomaru could not help but agree with his brother. His son was strong, and not just physically. He could be mischievous, but he excelled in everything he applied himself too and that made him feel proud of him. Sesshomaru could not help but smile.

The ears atop Inuryoku's head were no longer erect and his shoulders began to relax, but he did not say anything. Sesshomaru stepped next to his son and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, "The fact is, sword to sword and person to person, you were better. He was just trying to make himself look better."

Inuryoku looked down at the ground as he listened to his father.

"And if you were full youkai, he would have found something else to say."

"I guess," Inuryoku mumbled.

"Heh," Inuyasha added. "I still get comments like that. But I could care less because I know I could beat all of them. Besides, I got enough friends. I don't need any more."

"And you have plenty of friends who like you for who you are," Sesshomaru added. Inuryoku nodded as Sesshomaru patted his back, "Show him that you are the better man by your actions."

Slowly Inuryoku turned around to face Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, a thoughtful look evident on his face.

"He made me so angry," Inuryoku quietly spoke. "He called me a lowly half-breed. No one has ever called me that before."

"There will be others," Inuyasha quietly replied. "You just have to ignore them and remind yourself of all the great things you can do."

"He's right," Sesshomaru added. "Even if you were not a hanyou, there would always be someone trying to bring you down." Inuryoku nodded as he cast his eyes to the ground. Sesshomaru knelt next to him and hugged his son whispering in his ear, "I'm proud of what you accomplished today. Out of all the competitors you were the best. But regardless of how well you do in competition I will always love you and be proud of you, understand?"

Inuryoku nodded as he looked down at the ground but mumbled, "It still hurts though."

"I know," Inuyasha sighed. Running his fingers through a lock of his hair, Inuyasha did offer, "I wish it didn't. But if it did not hurt, what type of cold emotionless person would I be? I don't feel sorry for myself. I think of everyone around me and that feeling goes away."

"Yes, you have your mother and I, and your sister Mika, as well as your aunt and uncle and your cousins not to mention all your friends at school. You don't need him anyways," Sesshomaru added.

"I guess you're right," Hikaru humbly replied as a small smile formed on his lips despite the sad look in his eyes. Sesshomaru wrapped an arm around his son and asked, "You think you can go back now?"

"Uh huh," Inuryoku replied nodding. He followed Inuyasha and Sesshomaru back into the noodle house, his jaw going slack as he could hear the boy being grilled by one of his sensei.

"What do you think you were doing? Insulting the nephew of the Sensei Taisho! It's bad enough you lost. I'm so embarrassed you worthless piece of…"

"C'mon," Sesshomaru hissed as they returned to their table. Inuryoku sat down before his bowl of steaming oden feeling fortunate that his sensei were not so cruel.

"You should eat your Oden. It's good," Hikaru said. The kitsune girl leaned forward and whispered, "Ignore him, he's a jerk!"

"Yeah, he's mean!" the boy next to her added rather loudly. "He's always causing trouble when he comes here." Inuryoku nodded and taking a spoon, slowly took a bite of his Oden. A small grin appeared on his lips as the stew appeared to melt away his anger, but deep down inside his heart still ached.

"It's good," Inuryoku quietly commented. The kitsune children all smiled as Inuryoku began to eat more of the oden. But the party quickly grew quiet as the boy who had insulted him earlier shuffled in looking down at the floor as his sensei stood behind him, "I, um, I would like to say something."

Inuryoku calmly looked at the boy as he continued to speak, "I am really sorry about what I said earlier." The boy meekly looked Inuryoku in the eye, which nodded back to him. Sesshomaru grunted softly and Inuryoku understood what was expected of him.

"I accept your apology," he calmly stated. The boy wore a look of desperation in his eyes. And suddenly he felt sorry for the boy for he was lost in his ignorance. Inuryoku was not even sure if the boy meant it. He merely nodded and before he sat back down replied, "Apology accepted."

Quietly Inuryoku returned to his oden and began to eat slowly and quietly, the flavor of the meal now not as delicious. He could not help but wonder if everyone thought of him as the strange "hanyou kid."

Looking across the table at his son, Sesshomaru could see the sadness in his eyes. He suddenly found himself hating his own kind. Through the years, Sesshomaru had learned that integrity counted for more than bloodline, but it was a thought that still permeated much of the youkai villages.

"Sir," Shippo tentatively asked as he walked over to Sesshomaru, "May I talk to you?"

Sesshomaru nodded and followed the kitsune. With slumped shoulders, Shippo quietly spoke, "I don't know if I could say anything that could make up for what just happened, but I'm truly sorry. He will be disciplined by his sensei."

"You are not responsible for the ignorance of others," Sesshomaru quietly explained. "You can only hope to change the minds of the ignorant."

Shippo nodded looked down at a crack on the floor, "I understand that. But it should never have happened. I selected the students for the tournament."

Looking with sympathy at the kitsune, Sesshomaru explained, "You did not know he would pull that stunt. I just hope one day he learns the error of his ways."

"Oh yes, he will be disciplined," Shippo added.

"Disciplined." Sesshomaru looked at Shippo questioningly.

"He will go down in rank and not be allowed to compete in any tournaments for a while. But I don't know if it will change his beliefs if it is his elders that are feeding him those lies."

Resting his chin in his hand, Sesshomaru looked thoughtfully past Shippo to the rest of the restaurant, "One can only hope one day he will see the error of his ways."

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Shippo stated as he sat down next to Inuyasha and Kagome under the shade of a tree. "I mean every time everyone says those words."

Inuyasha nodded as he looked down at Izayoi in his arms as she reached up to grab an errant strand of his hair, "Do no worry about Inuryoku. He is a strong kid and he has his family around him to help him through this."

"I should have spoken to the children before the tournament," Shippo confessed as he looked down at the grass. "After all, there are no humans or hanyou here or in the wolf village."

Kagome rested a hand on Shippo's knee, "It's not your fault and he was not seriously hurt." They sat in silence under the tree watching the children play on the grass. Inuryoku was perched high in a tree overlooking the field deep in thought.

Inuyasha knew what Inuryoku was feeling. It pained him that it happened to another hanyou, his nephew no less, and he had been powerless to stop it. But family and friends who loved him surrounded Inuryoku, and that thought was comforting to Inuyasha.

"You can't change what happened, but you can talk to your students about it. Let them know it is wrong and unacceptable," Inuyasha added as Izayoi gently pulled on a lock of his hair. Shippo looked at Izayoi, then down at a blade of grass contemplating what Inuyasha and Kagome said.

"I just feel guilty and so embarrassed. I invited you to my tournament and I wanted to show you what I had done," Shippo whispered, disappointment written on his face.

"Its impossible to know what others truly think," Kagome explained. "Surely the sensei of the school must not feel that way judging by how angry he was at his student's outburst. Who knows what the boy must be taught at home?"

"I suppose," Shippo replied looking down at the grass.

"And the tournament was wonderful. We had a great time," Kagome added as she looked over at Inuyasha, who was letting Izayoi pull on his hair. But it was Izayoi who diverted everyone's thoughts.

"What's the matter little one," Inuyasha whispered as she squirmed in his arms and began to making huffing sounds. He frowned as he looked down at his daughter. Sighing, Inuyasha looked over at Kagome who handed him a bag with a sympathetic smile on her face.

"I guess I'll do it," Inuyasha announced.

"What's wrong," Shippo asked. Removing her dress, Inuyasha explained, "She just needs to be changed." Placing a hand behind his head Shippo looked around and quietly asked, "Here?"

Inuyasha looked at Kagome with a puzzled look written on his face and then looked over at Shippo, "Where else?" Kagome began to giggle at Shippo's sudden uncertainty and as he eyed Inuyasha warily.

"That…is disgusting," Shippo stated as he watched Inuyasha remove the dirtied diaper. Inuyasha ignored Shippo for the moment as he cleaned up Izayoi. Kagome scooted next to him and passed him a fresh cloth. Looking at Shippo, Inuyasha smiled, "When it's your own children, you are willing to do anything for them."

Shippo looked at Inuyasha thoughtfully and silently agreed with him. Inuyasha then quietly added, "I would have died to protect you."

"I know," Shippo whispered watching the children play. He turned to look at Izayoi as she squealed happily. Shippo smiled as he watched Inuyasha dress her and Kagome tickle her stomach making the infant cry out joyfully. Kagome looked up at Shippo and asked, "Do you want to hold her? You haven't had a chance to yet?"

"Um, okay," Shippo replied with uncertainty in his voice as a squirming infant girl was deposited in his arms. Inuyasha helped Shippo cradle her, "There you go."

Looking down at Izayoi as she reached up at him, Shippo presented her his index finger that she firmly grasped. Astonished by her actions, Shippo hugged her close inhaling her pleasant scent, "She smells so sweet."

"Of course she does runt! She takes after Kagome," Inuyasha blurted out. Kagome reached over and grabbed Inuyasha's hand and squeezed it gently. Inuyasha gazed at Kagome and smiled.

"She has a part of each of you in her," Shippo commented. "She looks like Kagome, but her eyes and ears are definitely Inuyasha's." As Izayoi let go of his index finger, Shippo scratched one of her ears noticing how that action calmed her.

"Okaa-san! Otou-san!" Hikaru cried as he ran towards them. Kagome smiled as their boy ran towards them clutching something precious in his hand, "What have you got there?"

"I've never seen one like it before," Hikaru announced holding out his palm to reveal a clover with four leaves. Kagome leaned closer and added, "That is rare. I've never seen one before."

"It is precious, don't loose it," Inuyasha instructed. Hikaru nodded and handed the clover to Inuyasha, "Otou-san, can you hold it for me? I don't want to loose it." Shippo's eyes grew wide as Inuyasha pulled out a gold locket from around his neck hidden by his clothing and open it to reveal a picture of he and Kagome from the time they were journeying together to piece the Shikon no Tama and destroy Naraku.

He used to wonder why Inuyasha was so guarded. But he was a child and innocent to the ways of the world. Inuyasha had been forced to grow up way to fast in a world that hated him. Now he understood Inuyasha's anger more clearly.

"Who is that?" Hikaru asked as Inuyasha placed the clover in the locket. Inuyasha smiled and spoke, "That is your mother and me."

"You guys look like you are shouting," was Hikaru's response. Blunt and innocent like the child he was. "But okaa-san looks pretty." Kagome chuckled, "Well, we sort of were fighting when the camera went off and thank you Hikaru"

"Okay," Hikaru replied satisfied with Kagome's answer. Inuyasha closed the locket and secured it in the folds of his kimono. He then ruffled Hikaru's hair and scratched his ear, "There it is safe now. You can go play with your friends now Hikaru-chan."

"Thanks otou-san," Hikaru chirped as he ran off to join the other children. Inuyasha smiled as he ran towards the other children joining them in a game of tag. Inuyasha turned toward Shippo and explained, "He was not so happy when we found him. There were mysterious cuts and bruises all over his body and he was weak."

"Who would do such a thing," Shippo retorted. Kagome sighed, "That's what we want to know. There was something strange about his injuries. Most of the cuts were on his elbows and wrists"

"It's as if they wanted him for his blood," Inuyasha offered. Shippo glanced over to Hikaru and watched him engage in a game of tag with the other children, "He seems to have forgotten what happened to him."

"I'm hoping as he grows older he will forget more and more until he has no memory of that place," Inuyasha whispered.

As the group walked over the large bridge over the lake, Inuryoku could not help but think of the boy. He had seen it in his eyes, the look of sorrow. And suddenly his heart felt a little bit lighter. Stopping suddenly, Inuryoku spoke aloud, "I'm not angry at that kid anymore."

Both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru turned around and looked thoughtfully at Inuryoku.

"I'm not mad at him." The child looked up and explained, "He looked so sad when he apologized. I wonder what happened to him when he was taken outside."

"I don't know," Sesshomaru added. "But that is a very mature thing to say Inuryoku. I'm very proud of you."

Inuryoku looked down at his feet and smiled, not sure of what else to say. He heard footsteps against the soft grass approach him and when he looked he saw his father looking down at with a small smile on his face, "C'mon Inuryoku, lets go home."


	30. Ganjou

Ganjou

Crouching on a high cliff overlooking the valley, Ganjou looked down at the cozy kitsune village with distaste. Ever since he had been cast from Rinjihoshi, his birthplace, Ganjou had viewed the village with revulsion. As the years passed, that hatred grew to seek revenge against the village, but the Guard had proved to be too formidable. Soon he began to seek out the ones who cast him out: Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha was a cursed half-breed in Ganjou's opinion and deserved to perish like all youkai with weakened bloodlines. He stood up on the cliff he had been crouching on and gazed across the valley, and restrained his wild dark hair with a leather cord atop his head.

If he wasn't allowed into Rinjihoshi, he could still watch it from afar. He had heard of a small sword tournament in a kitsune village not far from here and he suspected that Inuyasha would be present. So he stood on this cliff and waited.

Sighing, Ganjou could feel the sweat beads forming on his forehead. The heat of the day was wearing thin on his patience and the strong scent of incense he used to conceal his own scent was leaving him feeling slightly ill. Soon he began to pace, frustrated that all this effort would not go rewarded.

"Damn fools! They're not here!" Ganjou growled through clenched teeth a fang hanging lazily over his lip.

After waiting what seemed an eternity, he saw a small group leaving the village. Just as he suspected, Inuyasha was at the tournament. But he was surprised to find that clutching Inuyasha's hand was a small child. And this was no ordinary child. This was a hanyou child that looked familiar.

Kneeling on the cliff to get a closer look, Ganjou frowned as his mind attempted to identify where he has seen that child before. He closed his eyes and concentrated on all the places he had been recently, but all his thoughts come up empty.

Leaping down the cliff, Ganjou silently moved closer to the group landing on a nearby rooftop. Quietly, he paused as he listened to the group.

"So Hikaru, how did you like the kitsune village?" he heard Inuyasha ask the child.

"It was a lot of fun," the child responded. And suddenly, Ganjou remembered where he had seen that child before.

"I'm happy you liked our village," Kato smiled as he escorted the group out of the village.

"That's the child Kengen was keeping," Ganjou growled so quietly barely an insect heard him. Down below, Inuyasha's ear twitched uneasily as he sniffed the air.

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered as she observed him. "What is the matter?"

"I smell incense!" Inuyasha hissed as he leapt onto a nearby rooftop. Looking across the neighboring buildings, he spotted the source of the scent several rooftops away in the distance. Inuyasha leapt onto a rooftop then began running across it and leaping from building to building creating the illusion of flight.

"Ganjou!" Inuyasha shouted as he neared his target. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

The tall youkai paused, the wind blowing his hair violently around his thin figure, and slowly turned to face Inuyasha with a sly grin on his face, "I wasn't aware of being banned from this particular village half-breed."

Inuyasha gritted his teeth in anger at Ganjou's words as he moved his hand to the hilt of his tetsusaiga. Eying his opponent, Ganjou appeared to reach into his kimono but quickly withdrew his hand and retrieved his katana from its scabbard and lunged at Inuyasha. Both met each other halfway, their swords connecting and creating a loud clang that could be heard halfway across the village.

Leaping backwards, Inuyasha positioned himself ready for Ganjou's next move. For a second he felt unusually unsteady on his feet then ran towards and swung sideways at the youkai, but Ganjou moved swiftly out of the blade's way and lunged his sword at Inuyasha, slicing at his clothing but not breaking skin.

Sesshomaru gripped his sword ands was about to unsheathe it but paused as he noticed Inuyasha not move with his usual grace. Growling, Sesshomaru leapt up to the rooftop muttering under his breath, "I'm sick of all these idiots cheating!"

Oblivious to the crowd growing on the street below, Inuyasha positioned his sword over his head and swung downward at his opponent. Distracted by the presence of another youkai on the rooftop, Ganjou barely managed to dodge the sword as the blade once again slashed at his skin.

"Tsk, tsk Ganjou," Sesshomaru taunted as he calmly walked on the rooftop. "Such sloppy swordsmanship."

Sweat dripping on his forehead, Ganjou spun around to position himself better as he prepared to attack Inuyasha all the while trying to ignore the presence of Sesshomaru on the rooftop.

Gracefully spinning on his heels, Inuyasha gracefully swung his sword at Ganjou only to have his opponent leap into the air before the blade could connect. He ran forward slicing sideways as Ganjou landed on the rooftop. Ganjou dodged the blade all the while swing downward with his sword at Inuyasha.

Glaring at him, Inuyasha held his sword above his head and leaping back as Ganjou's sword connected with his. Ganjou came running at him, slashing at the air, "Face it Inuyasha, compared to me you are just a weak half-breed!"

Bearing no emotion on his face, Inuyasha quickly stepped aside striking downward as Ganjou passed him, the blade slicing through skin. Inuyasha stepped back then ran forward lunging forward with his sword.

Inuyasha kept his eyes trained on his opponent who quickly glanced at Sesshomaru then back at Inuyasha. Choosing to fight the younger brother, he ran towards Inuyasha and slashed at him. Inuyasha dodged the blow and chased after him as Ganjou moved to the edge of the rooftop.

Gritting his teeth in determination, Inuyasha leapt into the air and landed close to Ganjou on one foot attacking his opponent with a sideways motion. Laughing maniacally, Ganjou leapt off the roof, with Inuyasha poised to follow him, and pulled a small object out of his kimono and threw it at Inuyasha, a plume of smoke forming around him.

Dizzy from the poison, Inuyasha found himself suspended in the air unsure of what was beneath his feet. He felt a pair of arms around his middle and suddenly he was yanked backwards onto the rooftop. Supporting himself on his hands and knees, Inuyasha coughed as his body fought to expel the toxins.

"That bastard!" Inuyasha grunted. "I should've guessed he would play dirty." The sound of unsteady footsteps on the rooftop diverted their attention to a pale looking Kato who was pointing in the distance, "Who, who was he?"

Standing up and coughing a few more times, Inuyasha spoke firmly though with a hoarse voice, "That was Ganjou. He was expelled and banned from our village years ago for numerous reasons, one of which was poisoning hanyou or any youkai that supported hanyou."

"But why here? We're just a small village of kitsune." Kato protested. "We've never caused any problems to anyone."

"Evil makes no distinction," Sesshomaru stated. "It does not care what your village has or has not done. Someone may choose to attack your village simply because they are jealous of what you have."

Shippo was quiet for a while as he diverted his eyes to the distance. He looked down at his feet and thought quietly, "I had never looked at things that way before."

"Kato, Ganjou came after Sesshomaru and me," Inuyasha hoarsely explained. "Simply because I am a hanyou who played a major role in getting him expelled from the village he was born in. "I apologize for leading him to your village. I should have been more diligent."

With a determined look in his eyes, Shippo looked at Inuyasha and spoke with much emotion in his voice, "Don't apologize! If I don't get to see the people I love because I am afraid of what may come into my village I may as well stop living!"

"Shippo…" Inuyasha muttered looking thoughtfully at the kitsune. Standing up straight, Shippo began to speak again, "All youkai villages are at risk in this brave new world. Humans are so cunning and intelligent now with all their scientific advances that we youkai must stick together if we are to survive. My village has always felt to be immune to the problems that other youkai villages face but I always knew it would be a matter of time before trouble would come looking for us."

Inuyasha stepped forward and rested a hand on Kato's shoulder, "Don't dwell on what you should or shouldn't have done. Just move forward and act to make sure nothing happens to your village."

"I will," Shippo smiled. "I think for once I am going to speak up and make sure my village continues to stay safe."

"Are you going to be alright?" Inuyasha asked. Shippo nodded looking at the horizon, "Yeah, we'll be fine. You better get going before it gets dark." Inuyasha and Sesshomaru agreed and returned to their group on the ground. Together they walked in silence until they reached the outskirts of the village.

Inuyasha and Kagome looked thoughtfully at Shippo, each wishing they could offer more. Glancing first at Kagome then at Shippo, Inuyasha offered a few words of encouragement, "Nothing bad happened to your village today. But this also serves as a warning to give your village an opportunity to prepare itself. So that next time, if anything happens, you will be prepared."

"Right," Shippo smiled. Feeling a bit hopeful, he watched as the group slowly began to leave the village getting smaller and smaller as they crossed the horizon.


	31. Beyond Tournaments and Trophies

Beyond Tournaments and Trophies

Panting softly and with sweat dripping down his forehead, Souta clutched his wooden sword eying Inuyasha warily. On the street below, the sounds of cars passing in the night could be heard as barely a breeze could be felt in the small studio. Moving at inhuman speed, Inuyasha swung his wooden sword at Souta who was unable to block the attack feeling the weapon strike him hard in the chest. Leaning against the wall, Souta glared at Inuyasha, "What the fuck are you doing? This isn't in a regulation match."

"The time has come for you to look beyond medals and matches," Inuyasha stated resting his sword over his shoulder. Souta looked at Inuyasha unsure of what to say to that statement. Inuyasha raised his right foot and looked at his big toe as he spoke, "You must now think of how to defend yourself against both humans and youkai."

"Youkai?"

"Yes, Youkai," Inuyasha replied looking at Souta. "Don't look so surprised. It can be done." And with that Inuyasha positioned his sword ready to battle Souta again. Souta gritted his teeth understanding what he must work for. Gripping his sword firmly, Souta faced Inuyasha again. But try as he might, he could not anticipate the hanyou's agile moves.

"Dammit! You move too fast," Souta commented. "I just can't see you."

"You must learn to use all of your senses. Your eyes, your nose, even your skin. You must expect a youkai to move unlike a human. And all this will come in time, but you must be diligent in your studies." Inuyasha explained all this as he circled around Souta. He paused then attacked Souta suddenly who barely had time to react. Dodging the blow, he could feel the wind against his skin as Inuyasha swept past him.

Positioning his sword, Souta attacked but was surprised by the swiftness in Inuyasha's movements and was shocked at how quickly his attack was dodged. Growing angry, Souta attacked again only to have his sword blocked by Inuyasha.

"Relax," Inuyasha softly warned. "You must not let your emotions get the best of you. Now concentrate."

Nodding, Souta exhaled and faced Inuyasha watching him warily. When Inuyasha did not make the first move, Souta lunged forward and swung his sword downwards. Just as he expected, Inuyasha was able to dodge the sword quickly. He quickly followed swinging his sword wildly. Dodging each attack, Inuyasha could see the frustration growing on Souta's a few steps backwards, Inuyasha smiled, "That is enough for tonight. We should eat."

"But its still early?" Souta protested. With a calm look on his face, Inuyasha smiled, "It is, but you've grown so frustrated that our training is no longer productive. Its okay, though. I don't expect you to master this overnight." Souta nodded, not agreeing with him, "So you are just giving up on me?" Inuyasha looked at his young charge with confusion and spoke with a bit of hurt evident in his voice, "Why would I do such a thing? You know me better than that!"

"Then why are we stopping now? We usually practice for another hour." Looking at him softly, Inuyasha explained, "I'm not giving up on you. I will teach you how to fight against any youkai, but I am worried that you are too frustrated to learn anything right now. You have always been the little brother I never had and I will teach you everything I can."

Souta looked at Inuyasha thoughtfully, "I'm sorry. I just got carried away."

"Its alright," Inuyasha smiled. "When you are fighting for the ones you love it is easy to let your emotions get the best of you. It took me a year to learn to control my emotions."

"A year?" Souta looked at Inuyasha with worry on his face. Laughing, Inuyasha admitted, "Well I was stubborn and a bit conceited at the time."

As Souta's features relaxed, Inuyasha began to pack up his sword, "We should get going. I'm getting hungry." Packing away his sword, Souta smirked, "You're always hungry."

"So how will I know not to get confused regulation moves and non-regulation moves in a tournament?" Souta asked as they stepped off the train and towards the exits of the train station. As they made their way down the crowded steps, Inuyasha answered his question, "You should always be concentrating in a fight, and at this point in your training you should be skilled enough to know when to use what maneuver. But if you are fighting an enemy, do whatever you can to win."

Souta nodded as they left the train station and made their way down the crowded street. His mood remained grim as he thought of the attack. Noticing his unusual silence, Inuyasha asked, "What's bothering you?"

"Your fight with Ganjou," Souta whispered. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Inuyasha arrogantly stated, "Don't worry! We'll take care of him."

But despite his strong words, Inuyasha was worried. They had to formulate a plan quickly before Ganjou returned to Rinjihoshi. As they walked down the busy street, Souta's posture improved as he smiled brightly. Looking ahead, Inuyasha spotted Fukunao, the young geisha in training, and Fukuyoshi, the full fledged geisha she trained under.

The young geisha in training smiled at Souta and bowed back, "Hello Souta. I am well. How are you?"

"Fine," he replied as Inuyasha made his way next to him and nodded at Fukunao. "We just finished with sword practice and are going to get something to eat."

"I hate to cut this short," Fukunao apologized, "But I have another appointment and must be going." Souta frowned for a second, "Don't apologize, we have to get going to. Have a good night."

Souta could not help but think of Fukunao's world as they continued. It was a world that so firmly held onto traditions, much like the world he lived in. But theirs was a peaceful world, free of worries about rogue youkaiwhih were common in his. But he wouldn't trade his world for hers for he loved the simplicity with which the youkai lived. He soon realized that the light had changed and Inuyasha was halfway through the crosswalk. He ran after Inuyasha and caught up with him as they made their way to the ramen restaurant.

They quickly found their way down a crowded alley, alive with the sound of chatter, food being prepared, motor scooters, and music. The scent of various foods being prepared permeated the air and Inuyasha and Souta both stuck their noses in the air and smiled.

One scent caught the attention of both of their noses, a new izakaya crowded with happy customers. Forgetting ramen, the pair decided that this restaurant would be more suitable. Taking a table in a dark corner, Inuyasha eyed the restaurant with heavy lidded eyes.

"Is something the matter?" Souta whispered looking away from his menu at Inuyasha. Inuyasha slowly looked down at the menu and quietly stated, "Nothing. Just looking around, that's all."

Souta frowned, frustrated at Inuyasha's terse comment. He could be so mysterious at times that it frustrated him to no end. But if there was one person in the world he trusted the most, it would be Inuyasha. Sighing, Souta looked down at the menu wondering if Inuyasha had seen something.

By the time their plates had arrived, Souta had forgotten about his concerns and heartily began to partake in their meal, much to Inuyasha's amusement. Inuyasha, however, chose to enjoy his meal slowly sampling from all the small plates set on the table all the while carefully eyeing his surroundings.

Although Inuyasha appeared to enjoy their meal, Souta could not help but notice that Inuyasha had not eaten his usual fill and was unusually quiet as they left the restaurant. They quickly walked down the dark alley, the only sound coming from the swishing of their flowing hakama pants. Pausing suddenly, Inuyasha looked around his ears twitching anxiously from under the cloth on top of his head.

"What's wrong?" Souta whispered. Looking around warily Inuyasha hissed, "For this part of town its too quiet and too dark." Souta looked around for himself and nodded in agreement. The alley should have been filled with the sounds of chatter, food being prepared, and people celebrating in the alley.

Quietly, they continued down the alley. The sound of a door slamming alerted them to the potential danger nearby. Quickly removing his sword from the nylon case and gripping the hilt of his katana, Inuyasha motioned for Souta to stay behind him. Slowly they stepped forward hearing some shouting and the sound of a gunshot being fired. Instinctively, Inuyasha removed the katana from its sheath and waited. A door swung open and a burly man with hair slicked back and large sunglasses burst into the alley. He gasped as he spotted Inuyasha yielding his sword.

"What did you see?" the man demanded. Growling Inuyasha retorted, "Like I give a fuck about your business." Souta gulped as the man pointed his gun at them, but Inuyasha was quicker lunging at him with his sword and stabbing him in the gut. Time appeared to stand still for Souta, who was astonished that Inuyasha would attack a human like that.

Souta watched as Inuyasha removed the sword from the man's body and was astonished to see the blood sizzle on the blade, as if it was being boiled off. The man doubled over, dropping the gun on the pavement cussing at Inuyasha, "What the fuck was that for?"

Silently Inuyasha slashed the sword at the man once again, slicing him across his leg and his shoulder and his arm, leaving the man unconscious on the ground. Souta could only glare at the sword as once again the blood sizzled off the blade and it was soon left clean. Returning the sword to its sheath and into the nylon carrying case, Inuyasha whispered to Souta, "You okay?"

"Uh huh," Souta nodded as he watched Inuyasha sling the sword case over his shoulder and retrieve the gun and carefully take it apart before destroying it with his hands and tossing the tiny pieces unceremoniously to the pavement. Clearly agitated, Inuyasha quickly and silently walked down the alley. Souta ran to keep up with the hanyou, unsure of what to say or do. It was when they paused on a street corner did Inuyasha noticed the anxiety on Souta's face.

"Is something the matter," Inuyasha asked. Looking around the deserted street corner with uncertainty, Souta whispered, "You harmed a human."

"His injuries are not life threatening. He will recover," Inuyasha stated as they crossed the street.

"What?" Souta asked, perplexed. Inuyasha was terse in his reply, "You heard me. Now lets get out of here quick!" Knowing that this was a question best asked later, Souta nodded and followed Inuyasha.

It was not long before Souta had arrived home. He sat on the futon of his small one room apartment, unsure of what to think of the events of that evening. First was the initial shock of Inuyasha preparing him to battle youkai and hanyou, creatures he would not want to see on the opposite side of a sword. Second, was the sight of Inuyasha battling a human. Such an act was improbable in Souta's mind.

Pulling the tie out of his hair Souta fell back onto the futon and sighed. It was the second event of the evening that had him. He had never seen Inuyasha attack a human before. And this was after he had long listened to Inuyasha explain that the affairs of humans were not of his concern.

Yet he attacked a human! Granted that human was threatening them and Inuyasha had to act fast. But did he have to stab him? And his sword had behaved most peculiarly. Inuyasha stated, rather bluntly, that the human would recover from his injuries. There was certainly more to what he had seen in that alley.

Souta decided he had to get out of his clothes. He sat up and slowly, he untied the ties to his hakama pants and then the obi about his waist and felt the kimono fall slack around his body. Souta decided he needed a bath, perhaps a drink, and a good long sleep.


	32. Secrets and Mysteries

Secrets and Mysteries

Souta cradled Izayoi in his arms, spooning strained carrots into her mouth. He looked down at her, watching as she made a mess around her mouth. But as he scooped the strained carrots with the spoon back into her mouth, Souta could not shake what he had seen the other night or the arousing suspicions about both Inuyasha and Kagome.

He watched as Izayoi yawned and her eyes began to droop as she soon began to ignore the spoonful of food Souta was offering to her. He smiled at her, amazed at how she always made his heart feel lighter. Kagome set a large tray on the table and smiled at him, "If she's falling asleep put her in her basket."

Setting her in her basket just as Kagome instructed, Souta watched as she poured boiling water into a large ceramic cup and added powdered green tea to it. As she vigorously stirred the mixture with a bamboo whisk, Souta decided that he would voice his concerns with her.

"There is something funny about Inuysha's katana," Souta simply stated. Kagome dropped the empty ceramic cup she was holding. It hit the table and rolled on its side coming to a stop against the ceramic bowl with a loud "clank."

Kagome picked up the unharmed cup and set it upright on the table and responded with a shaky voice, "Whatever do you mean?"

"I saw it," Souta pressed on. "The other night I saw his sword do something strange."

"What did you see Souta?" Kagome cautiously asked.

"Well, when we ran into that gangster with the gun, Inuyasha used his katana and attacked him!" Souta paused as he took a sip of his tea and continued, "I asked him why he used his sword against a human and he told me not to worry, that the human would be fine."

Kagome anxiously watched as Souta looked down at the table and traced the rim of his cup with the index finger of his right hand. Looking up at Kagome, Souta continued, "And when I looked at his sword I swear I saw the blood sizzle and boil off the blade. There is some kind of magic in that sword."

Adding boiling water to the cup, Kagome thought of the best way to answer Souta's question. As she added the powdered green tea to her cup and vigorously stirred it, Kagome explained with a stern voice, "What I am going to tell you must never leave this room, understood?"

Souta nodded as Kagome took a sip of his tea then set her cup on the table and began, "Inuyasha is right, the human will have healed by now."

Kagome watched as the look of astonishment came across his face. "You see, that sword cannot be used to kill a human. But it can injure a human, leaving that person incapacitated. The injuries will fade in a few days."

"But that's great!" Souta interrupted.

"It's forbidden," Kagome stated. "For the sheer fact that such magic can give any youkai an unfair advantage over humans."

"I don't understand."

"Youkai naturally are more powerful than any human, but humans have grown more cunning and even pose a threat to our very existence. So several laws have been made to ensure that youkai do not encroach on humans or give humans any excuse to interfere."

Souta nodded, understanding every word Kagome spoke but growing fearful of the wrath rogue youkai like Ganjou could cause. But he stayed quiet as Kagome continued, "It is forbidden for a youkai to use magic on a human for the reason of the advantage it would give a youkai."

"Then why does Inuyasha have that sword?"

"We have stood up for what we believe in and fought to protect our village, but that has come at a great price," Kagome paused taking a sip of her tea. "And that has brought us a lot of enemies. So we began to look for ways to protect ourselves from both youkai and humans."

"Humans?" Souta questioned. "I can understand youkai causing problems but humans as well."

Kagome swirled her cup watching the frothy green liquid form waves and then took a sip, "Yes, humans can be just a troublesome as well. There have been a few who have attempted to utilize the power of a youkai to their benefit or even expose them. But Inuyasha did not feel it was in his place to kill a human so he looked and looked and eventually found with the katana you saw him use the other night. He has rarely had to use it for that purpose but it has proved to be valuable several times."

Souta nodded and took his cup with both hands and took a sip, "Inuyasha said I need to learn to fight youkai." Kagome smiled at her brother, "I agree. It is time. But don't worry, we'll help you."

Moments later, Kagome and Souta stood in the back yard with wooden swords ready to fight each other. Looking up at her brother, Kagome stated, "You should always expect your opponent to not play nicely."

Souta smirked as he attacked first with a sideways swing of his sword. Kagome calmly and quickly dodged him lunging her wooden sword at him and striking him in the chest. Souta continued to fight, sending several attacks her way but Kagome was always able to dodge them. Then as Souta stepped forward to launch another attack, Kagome hooked his raised leg with her sword and tripped her brother. Stumbling to the ground, Souta protested, "Hey! What was that?"

"Don't expect your enemies to play fair," Kagome calmly explained holding out a hand to help her brother up. "And I don't expect you to play fair when it comes to protecting the ones you love." Souta nodded. He couldn't argue with that.

Standing with his feet firmly planted on the ground, Souta waited for Kagome to attack. She circled him several times, eyeing him with an icy glare. All Souta could do was grit his teeth in anticipation. His patience running thin, Souta lunged at his sister. Kagome jumped out of the way and blocked his attack, "You must learn patience!"

"I realize that now," Souta huffed in irritation. Looking at him calmly, Kagome reminded him to relax, "Clear your mind, Souta. Lets try again. Nodding, Souta took a few minutes to collect his thoughts then faced Kagome and waited. This time, Kagome chose to attack quickly. Souta was prepared and countered her attack. As he swung his sword at her, he noticed how quickly and how high she was able to jump out of his way. He followed with a lunge and noticed that Kagome moved in a way that no human could, with such speed and agility that he stopped his movement and just stared at her.

Kagome appeared to have floated, twisting effortlessly as she jumped high. Her hair barely moved with her. As Kagome landed gracefully on one foot, she looked over to Souta and his confused face. But from the way he was staring at her, Kagome knew what he saw and sighed.

"Just what kind of magic are you and Inuyasha playing with?" Souta asked lowering his weapon.

"Souta, I am not going to lie to you, but yes Inuyasha and I have resorted to 'magic' as you call it to protect not only me but Izayoi and Hikaru."

"That's cheating."

"Not when it comes to protecting the ones you love," Kagome firmly stated. "What would you do to protect the ones you love?"

Souta looked down at the grass and thought of what Kagome had said. She had spoken the truth. Recalling all the battles Inuyasha and Sesshomaru fought with Ganjou, Souta understood that he had not fought honorably using various methods to win many of the battles. And those mysterious people who tortured Hikaru made his blood boil. Clenching his fist tightly, Souta knew he would do the same, "I'm sorry. I should not have judged you and Inuyasha."


	33. Are You Ready To Fight?

Are You Ready To Fight?

Souta took a sharp intake of air as he stepped into the icy water after Kagome. He looked towards where the water flowed from and sighed, noting it probably originated from a snow-capped mountain. As they stepped into deeper water, Kagome turned around and smiled, "Cold, eh?"

"A little," Souta grinned back. He followed her to a small but powerful waterfall. Watching Kagome wade through the cold water, Souta paused and spoke out loud, "No way!"

Kagome ignored him as she stepped under the waterfall and looked at her brother. Souta nodded and waded next to Kagome gasping as the cold water fell on his head and shoulders.

"You must clear your mind," Kagome instructed. "Tune everything out." Souta gritted his teeth for a moment then willed himself to relax. The water falling on them was so cold it was actually painful. Despite this and with great effort, Souta closed his eyes and forced his body to ignore the discomfort.

It had been a week since he had last spoken to Kagome, but it had given him some time to sort out his feelings. Inuyasha had visited him in Tokyo and explained in detail how Hikaru had been tortured by his previous guardians, that there were many youkai that did not like hanyou, and most worrisome was the though of what humans would do if they had managed to capture a youkai or hanyou. But Inuyasha would not share what he and Kagome had done; it was a secret that had to be guarded at all costs. The fewer that knew what it was, the less likely that secret would be discovered.

Souta hated this uncertainty, but it was not anything he could control. But not all was hopeless. He could do something and that thing was to train to become a better fighter. With renewed energy, Souta had devoted himself to training.

"Souta," Kagome calmly stated, "Are you ready to fight?" Souta opened his eyes and looked at his sister and nodded.

"Good," she smiled. "Let's start with our wooden swords first." Both siblings retrieved their swords from the riverbank but Souta stopped as he noticed Kagome wade back into the water.

"Sis," Souta asked as he watched Kagome stand waist deep in the water smiling at him.

"Are we going to fight in there?" Souta questioned. Kagome, with a serious look on her face replied, "If you can fight in ice cold water, you can fight anywhere."

Reluctantly, Souta waded back into the water and faced his sister. Following proper etiquette, the two siblings bowed to each other then positioned their wooden swords. Kagome quickly slashed at her brother. But Souta was prepared for her to make the first move and blocked the sword with his own sword.

Souta stepped forward, nearly loosing his footing on the sandy bottom. Gripping his sword tightly, he lunged forward. Kagome, steady on her feet, dodged the blow and tripped her brother who fell backwards into the cold water.

"Dammit, Kagome, that wasn't fair!" Souta shouted as he sat in the water. Holding her hand out, Kagome helped Souta up, "You must learn to not think that a fight will be fair. The people you will be fighting don't care about fairness and etiquette."

Steadying himself on his feet, Souta thought of what Kagome had said. He was struggling to think of a fight beyond a tournament, but he was not going to stop trying. Gripping his sword with his numb fingers, Souta looked at Kagome, "I understand now. I think I'm ready."

Souta stepped forward cautious of the unsteady bottom and brought his sword downwards. Kagome was quick and blocked the blow with her sword, stepping aside and striking down at Souta with a diagonal motion. Surprised by Kagome's quickness, Souta effectively dodged out of harm's way.

Panting slightly, Souta ran towards Kagome who spun around missing his sword. But as she faced Souta, Kagome thrust her sword into his chest. Surprised by the strike, Souta lost his footing and fell into the water.

"Get up," Kagome called out. "Don't ever give up!" Quickly, Souta got back on his feet and met his sister blow for blow. But as they battled, Souta could not help but wonder how Kagome could see all his weak spots. But that was his first mistake as Kagome struck his sword hard knocking it out of his hands.

Dodging another attack from Kagome, Souta dove for his sword that was floating on the water and swung sideways at Kagome missing her neck by a few hairs. Knowing that in a real battle, Souta's attack would be fatal Kagome stepped backwards and bowed slightly, "Good work."

Blushing slightly, Souta turned away and walked to the shore, "I've had it with this water! Its cold!" Laughing, Kagome followed her brother to the shoreline where she changed her clothing behind the privacy of a lush bush. Souta sulked in his wet clothing in the sun as he bit into his rice ball.

"You could have told me to bring a change of clothes."

"I suppose," Kagome mused unwrapping some sliced yams. "But you would have been suspicious of what we were doing." Souta gritted his teeth and nodded, "So, you could have brought something for me to change into."

"I guess I could have!" Kagome smiled watching her brother's repulsed reaction, "But it's a hot day. Its not like you are shivering or anything."

"You do have a point," Souta mumbled as he reached for some omelet but then paused. "I'm not falling for your tricks again!"

Kagome looked at Souta with a serious look on her face, "What tricks?"

"You are tying to make me forget that you conveniently forgot bring me something dry to change into," her brother replied crossing his arms. Kagome looked at her brother and smiled, "I honestly forgot to bring something for you to change into. I'm sorry. Look I even cooked the omelet the way you like it."

Souta looked down at the grass and realized that perhaps Kagome merely forgot to bring him something to change into. But she still owed him for this lapse of memory. "Okay, I believe you. But you owe me, big time!"

"Don' worry, I'll make it up to you," Kagome laughed. "But only if you keep up your training!"


	34. A Visitor From Another World

A Visitor From Another World

Shippo Kato was tired. The journey to Rinjihoshi was long and uncomfortable, plus the air was stagnant and warm. He particularly disliked having to use the modern forms of transportation. Automobiles were noisy, bumpy, and unpleasant smelling although there were a choice few he could tolerate. But if it made travel easier and quicker he could endure the discomfort. But as he sat on the horse drawn cart looking at the passing scenery up the hills of Rinjihoshi, Shippo fell asleep.

"Kitsune! Kitsune!" Shippo slowly opened his eyes and eyeing the driver of the cart looking down at him and thrashed for a second before scampering to his feet. The driver jumped back apologizing profusely, "I'm terribly sorry sir, but you did not wake up and we are here!"

"That's alright," Shippo quietly replied retrieving his belongings and climbing down from the cart and handing the driver some money for the journey. He turned and began walking towards town but stopped suddenly, realized he did not know where to go.

"Excuse me," Shippo stated as he returned to the cart. "Do you know where Taisho dojo is?"

The driver smiled, "Of course. Everyone knows where the Taisho dojo is. My little girl goes there." Shippo smiled and quickly memorized every detail the driver had given him and entered the town. He was surprised by how much more crowded this village was to his and how lavishly everyone was dressed in colorful flowing kimono.

But it was the scent of a sweet cake cooking that caught his attention. Finding a small stand with a long line grilling small cakes, Shippo joined the line. He was happy the line moved quickly and soon found himself carrying a small basket of the treats while biting into one, "Azuki beans! This is amazing."

Having finished his snack, Shippo found his way to a tree lined path and eventually gazing upon a simple courtyard with a large building. Slowly he walked into the large building and gazed through a doorway as Kagome was teaching a small class. Shippo watched as Kagome instruct her class in a complicated series of moves with her long sword, the naginata. As she spun around she noticed Shippo and smiled. Kagome finished her sequence and quickly excused herself embracing Shippo outside of the studio, "Did you just get here?"

"Uh huh," Shippo smiled as Kagome led him out of the school and through the gate into their garden, "Inuyasha and Izayoi are probably asleep and Hikaru is at the tera koya but you can relax in the garden, take a nap, or have something to eat. I'll be done in about an hour."

"It's so pretty. Did you do this yourself?" Shippo quietly commented as he looked over the bridge. Adjusting her long flowing sleeve, Kagome smiled, "Mostly. We had a lot of help from Sesshomaru."

Shippo gazed wistfully down at the pond and was quiet for a moment but was interrupted from his thoughts by Kagome, who was tugging on his arm, "Lets get you settled."

Kagome quickly led him into the house apologizing profusely for leaving him to fend for himself, "I'm so sorry Shippo. I was expecting you much later."

"Don't worry about it," Shippo replied holding his hands up. "I'll just relax while you finish your class." Grinning widely, Kagome replied, "Thanks Shippo. Let me see if Inuyasha is up." Quietly she slipped away then returned motioning for Shippo to follow him.

Seating himself on a cushion at the low table on the floor of the kitchen. Spread out on the table was gazing upon a large map. Quietly Inuyasha groggily stepped into the kitchen, his long hair swept up and tied at the back of his head. The glow of a candle on a low table cast a hazy light over him. Inuyasha looked at Shippo and smiled, "How was the journey?"

"Tiring, but quicker than I was expecting," Shippo whispered. Pointing to the map, he asked "What you looking at?"

"It's a map of Rinjihoshi," Inuyasha explained rolling the map up. "I'm looking for different places for my advanced students to train. But this can wait. Let me show you around." Shippo was quiet as he followed Inuyasha, astonished at how much he had changed. As they walked through the garden, Inuyasha asked, "How have you been doing?"

"Okay," Shippo sighed. "My village has been so…tense lately. Everyone is scared and although no one has said it, I feel like everyone is blaming me for bringing this onto the village."

Adjusting the sleeve of his kimono, Inuyasha looked down at the ground, "Is that how you feel?" Shippo was quiet as they walked over the bridge and stopped, leaning over the railing and looking down at the colorful koi fish in the pond, "A part of me does."

Watching Shippo for a moment, Inuyasha added, "I learned a long time ago that you can either choose to be safe and not experience the world or you can take a chance and see some beautiful things"

"I suppose," Shippo reluctantly stated. Inuyasha looked down at him, "And what about your students? Did they learn anything?" The kitsune smiled brightly as he looked straight ahead, "They haven't stopped talking about your visit."

"Really?" Inuyasha grinned. Shippo nodded as he admired the fish in the pond, "They keep asking when you are going to come back. All of them were surprised that hanyou could be so strong."

"Heh, most youkai are surprised," Inuyasha smirked. Laughing, Shippo added, "A lot of my students keep saying how beautiful hanyou are."

Inuyasha glared at Shippo strangely, "What are you talking about?"

"Well hanyou don't exactly look human and don't exactly look youkai," Shippo explained. "You look exotic and attractive, especially to a lot of the girls in my village." Inuyasha's cheeks turned red as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, "That's stupid."

"There are a lot of girls in my village that would love to prove you wrong." Looking away, Inuyasha grumbled, "Is that so?"

"That hanyou was so dashing with his long white hair and amber eyes and those adorable ears," Shippo retorted in a high-pitched voiced as he laughed. Inuyasha shook his head, "Sometimes I just don't get this world."

Shippo chuckled but then darkly added, "But there are still many in my village that despise hanyou." Inuyasha solemnly nodded in agreement, "That thinking exists here too, but I don't let it bother me. I know as a hanyou I have to work harder than everyone else. But if I wasn't a hanyou, if I was given everything, I would not have worked so hard to have my own dojo."

The kitsune looked over at Inuyasha, still unused to him talking so frankly about himself, but appreciating the insight. Inuyasha sighed and continued, "I used to think that I did not care, but everyone wants to be accepted. If I can change just how one person thinks, then all the hard work is worth it."

Focusing on a particularly large fish circling a rock at the bottom of the pond, Shippo thought of those words, understanding the hardship of a hanyou. "So will Hikaru and Izayoi have a hard life?"

"Not if I can help it!" Inuyasha stated loudly with determination and emotion in his voice. Looking down with sadness in his voice, Inuyasha explained, "There will always be someone who can't see past what they are. But I can give them the tools to make them strong."

"Hikaru seems happy, though," Shippo added. A peaceful look came across his face as Inuyasha smiled, "He is. His heritage has been an issue already, but we live in an area of Rinjihoshi where hanyou are a bit more common. Hikaru goes to the tera koya, has started at the dojo and has lots of friends just like all the other children here."

Shippo was quiet as he gazed over the garden as he thought of the incident at the tournament.

"It may not be so easy now, but things will get better and your village will become much more safer." Shippo nodded as he watched Inuyasha look down at his feet, wondering what the hanyou could be thinking. Resting his hands on the red railing of the bridge, Inuyasha quietly added, "It was a matter of time before something was bound to happen in your village. Like I said before, you need to look ahead and not let any feelings of guilt hold you down. I know all too well how that can hold you back."

"So what do we need to do?" Shippo asked. Resting his elbows on the railing and looking down, Inuyasha explained, "Your village just needs to set up an effective guard, and watch for anything."

"We have a guard. And they patrol, but they missed Ganjou."

"Yes, it can happen to even the most powerful defenses, but each breach is an opportunity to learn and improve," Inuyasha quietly explained. "But don't dwell too much on what happened." Shippo nodded and looked down at the water and whispered, "I know."

"C'mon, lets go get something to eat runt," Inuyasha smirked as he ruffled Shippo's hair before walking off the bridge and heading toward the house. Growling, Shippo followed Inuyasha, "Who are you calling a runt?"

Smiling Inuyasha turned to face Shippo, "Well you've grown so you are not as much of a runt. But you're still a runt!"

"You're such a jerk," Shippo, grumbled as he followed Inuyasha to the kitchen. Inuyasha smiled as the treats Kagome had prepared earlier were still on the small table. Inuyasha was boiling water on a small fire and adding powdered green tea to a teapot.

"I've been called worse," Inuyasha smirked as he poured the hot water into the pot. Sitting down at the table, Shippo crossed his arms and complained, "And my hair is now a mess thanks to you!"

"You can use a comb to fix it," Inuyasha nonchalantly replied placing the pot and two cups on the table. Glaring at Inuyasha, Souta replied, "Maybe I should fix your hair."

Inuyasha glared at Souta, "If you touch my hair…"

"You'll what?" Kagome sweetly asked as she stepped into the kitchen. Looking up at Kagome's face, Inuyasha quietly replied, "Nothing."

Sitting down next to Inuyasha, Kagome eagerly began to ask about his village since their visit there. Shippo calmly answered her questions, but both Inuyasha and Kagome could see the apprehension in his face. Resting her hand on top of his, Kagome asked, "Shippo, whatever is the matter?"

"I have been given a huge responsibility. The leaders of my village have sent me here to learn the secrets of how your village is so strong."

"Huh?" Inuyasha and Kagome replied. Shippo looked a little distressed as he explained, "Rinjihoshi is known as a large and wealthy youkai village. We want to know how you can keep such a big village so safe."

Frowning, Inuyasha looked down at the tabletop wondering how to answer that question. He poured three cups of tea and passed them around the table. Taking a cup, Kagome sipped her tea as she thought how best to answer the question.

"The reason our village is so well guarded is that there have been we have had rogue youkai wreak havoc. We had to learn from our mistakes."

Nodding in agreement, Inuyasha explained, "There is a youkai named Ganjou who comes from this village. He was power hungry and would blackmail other youkai to do his bidding. And when we came here to live, he made it well know how he felt about humans and hanyou."

"So what happened?" Shippo asked, enthralled by the story.

"He formed an alliance with the youkai that did not want to live with humans or even hanyou for that matter," Inuyasha explained. "There was a rather large number in this alliance. But this alliance also saw it as an excuse to run around the village."

"It was awful," Kagome added. "Vandalism, graffiti, destroyed crops. Inuyasha had just formed a small dojo. But we did not know that some of these students were the children members of the guard."

"Heh, it wasn't long before the guard was recruiting us for help," Inuyasha smirked.

Kagome placed her hand on top of Inuyasha's and smiled, "They wanted a hanyou to represent the village, to let this group know that tolerance and peace not blood was to be valued."

"Heh, we ended up driving them out of the village!" Inuyasha smirked. "He hasn't been back since."

"That's good!" Shippo proclaimed. Inuyasha smiled as his ear twitched. Standing up he began to walk out of the room, "Someone is awake!"

Once Inuyasha left the room, Kagome grinned, "Inuyasha adores Izayoi. He tries to spend every waking hour with her."

"Its cute," Shippo mused. "But I'm a bit jealous. He was always so rough with me." Kagome narrowed her eyes as she looked at Shippo, "Don't act so innocent. You instigated half the arguments."

"Like Inuyasha was innocent," Shippo tried to protest, but quickly quieted as he heard Inuyasha's footsteps. He could not help but smile as Inuyasha returned cradling Izayoi in his arms with a large grin on his face, "She's teething so she's a bit fussy."

"Oh, she's not that bad," Kagome smiled as Inuyasha sat down next to her. Still grinning, Inuyasha agreed as he adjusted the squirming infant in his arms, "She barely fusses, but she can't help it. It hurts to have your teeth come out."

It was obvious that both Inuyasha and Kagome loved their children. But Shippo had been curious about the name and boldly asked, "How did you come up with her name?"

"Izayoi," Inuyasha smiled. "That was my mother's name."

"So another Izayoi walks the earth again," Shippo mused. Inuyasha and Kagome grinned at each other, but it was Inuyasha who spoke first, "That is what Kagome said when Izayoi was born."

All three were silent for a moment as Inuyasha cradled Izayoi in his arms. Looking directly at Shippo, Inuyasha replied, "Would you like to watch me teach and perhaps we could train afterwards?"

Shippo nodded, excited to spar against Inuyasha.


End file.
